Caitlin Clark paid tribute to Kobe Bryant’s daughter at the Iowa exhibition game. She gained prominence after she exhibited a stellar showdown last season and took Iowa to their first trip to the finals. She bagged every individual achievement last season. Her return to this season is highly anticipated, as the Iowa Hawkeyes’ start is outstanding, as they broke a spectatorship record during their crossover at Kinnicks. Iowans are hard at work in contests where they steamroll their opponents.

The No. 3 university played the last exhibition match against Clarke University, which they won with a score of 112–49 and achieved a decisive triumph where Clark exhibited her connection to Vanessa Bryant’s Foundation. Among the six universities that have partnerships with “Mamba and Mambacita”, Iowa is not one of them. However, Caitlin Clark decided to join the team.

Caitlin Clark’s tribute to the late Kobe Bryant’s daughter

The tragic deaths of Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna Bryant, shook the globe. Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s widow, took over their charity, renaming it the “Mamba and Mambacita Foundation,” to support disadvantaged athletes after they died.

Nike released the Kobe 6 Protro “Mambacita Sweet 16″ in May 2022 as a tribute to Gigi, with all proceeds benefiting charity. The alliance also includes Oregon, Kentucky, Duke, USC, and UConn, in addition to LSU and UConn. Nike has sponsorship agreements with all six institutions. Athletes from each of the six institutions will wear Nike sneakers for the 2023–24 season to commemorate Kobe and Gigi.

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Caitlin Clark, on the other hand, published a tale about her sneakers on Instagram. She was wearing the customized Nike Gigi edition, which had her name embossed in black on the rim of the sneakers. She titled the piece “Exhibition 23/10.” We’ll have to wait and watch if she continues to pay tribute to the late Lakers star and her daughter, as well as her rival institutions, in future games.

What is next for Iowa?

The Hawkeyes are set to kick off their 2023–24 season on November 6 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena against Fairleigh Dickinson. Fans are eagerly awaiting the return of IOWA with Caitlin, who is hoping to secure a championship ring after missing out on it last year.

Iowa’s performance in their preseason games has been impressive, raising hopes of defeating Angel Reese and her team. Caitlin has started her final season with a strong display of three-pointers, and fans are excited to see what else she has in store.

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It remains to be seen whether Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese will face each other in the finals, but if they do, it could break viewership records. What are your thoughts on the upcoming NCAA season? Share your opinions in the comments.