Caitlin Clark shares nostalgic reaction after receiving warm Iowa welcome: "It feels weird coming back"

Caitlin Clark has recently come back to her hometown Iowa, to be specific, her alma mater, the University of Iowa. The rising WNBA star was greeted with a warm welcome with Iowa fans chanting her name. Clark’s influence on the fans of the region has been remarkable. As she returned to her state, her No. 22 jersey was raised to the rafters on Sunday afternoon. Clark was quite emotional with the response and she shared a few words filled with gratitude.

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark shared her feelings after returning to the University of Iowa. On a memorable Sunday afternoon at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Clark stole the spotlight again. As her No. 22 jersey rose to the rafters, the Indiana Fever guard shared her feelings while revealing that she was slightly disappointed not being a part of the game.
“It's been fun looking back on this whole past year and everything that's been able to happen, just the journey we went on,” Clark said before the game of her former team. “It's kind of a weird feeling coming back here and not being able to play, but it's just a really exciting time still for this program. I'm very fortunate to be a part of it,” she added.

Clark’s basketball influence on the people of the state has been tremendous, former Iowa coach Lisa Bluder hailed the 23-year-old with a warm message. “The positive image you’ve brought to this basketball program, this university, this state, women’s basketball nationally is unmeasurable,” Bluder said during Clark’s jersey retirement ceremony.
“I’ve spent my entire career trying to empower young women. But you’ve done more of that in the last four years than anybody could imagine. You showed why it’s wise to invest in women’s sports. Why it’s wise to invest in women,” she continued. “It’s not only the right thing to do. it’s the smart thing to do,” Bluder added.
The Hawkeyes faced a tough transition after losing Clark, Kate Martin, and Gabbie Marshall, but they came out strong against No. 4 USC. The Trojans struggled early, failing to make a field goal until JuJu Watkins drained a three-pointer with 26 seconds left in the first quarter. Iowa built a commanding 19-point lead midway through the second, fueled by an electric crowd that made Carver-Hawkeye Arena shake.
By the time the final buzzer sounded on Iowa’s 76-69 victory, there was a huge roar in the crowd. Watkins acknowledged the WNBA’s star’s influence on the crowd. “The energy from everybody, it was electrifying,” Watkins said. “It’s just a testament to what Caitlin’s done and what direction the sport is heading. I’m super grateful to have a part in it and be able to showcase my talents and what the women’s game can do,” she added.
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For Clark, it was a nostalgia-driven moment where she received the honor of her former team’s jersey number retirement.