IOWA CITY, Iowa — For two hours on a Sunday afternoon, she was nothing more than a women’s basketball fan taking in a generational talent and watching her alma mater pull off a top-five upset.
Caitlin Clark bounced up when Iowa players launched 3-point attempts, gestured furiously for travel calls and voiced irritation at perceived missed fouls. When Iowa went up 16-1 on No. 4 USC and national player of the year contender JuJu Watkins late in the first quarter, the entire Clark contingent was up and roaring with the sold-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena crowd.
By the time the Hawkeyes pulled off a signature 76-69 Big Ten victory, the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer calmly flashed a smile in the stands while students stormed the court.