Caitlin Clark may have swapped out black and gold for the Indiana Fever’s red and blue. But it is still very much “go Hawks” anything and everything for the WNBA off-season. She’s been at the facility and cheered from the sidelines just weeks after Hawkeyes took off for the 2024-25 season. But if those words of CC still held any weight, fans await them to translate as Iowa makes another leap.

After a hard-fought season, the Iowa Hawkeyes have secured a No. 11 seed heading into the Big Ten tournament. But the big news for Clark fans is that the Jan Jensen squad’s first game is to be held at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on March 5th.

The tournament’s close proximity to the 2024 ROTY’s new home court has fueled speculation when it comes to her attendance. 

Some have speculated that this could turn Gainbridge into “Carver East”. “I wonder if Caitlin Clark will attend the Iowa games since the Big Ten Tournament is at Gainbridge Fieldhouse? Will Gainbridge become Carver East? Hawkeye fans should show up in force!” one fan wrote on X. The thought of Caitlin in the stands is enough to take any Hawkeye fan’s hopes to a grand size for this tournament.

Under Jensen’s guidance, the Hawkeyes have managed to end the year on a winning note— two consecutive win against Michigan and Wisconsin. Lucy Olsen led with 22 points, and Hannah Stuelke went a perfect 7-of-7 from the free throw line while grabbing 15 rebounds in their last regular season win. Though the Badgers held down Iowa from widening the gap in the first half, tying 36-36, Sydney Affolter’s 3-pointer kick started the dominance.

Kylie Feuerbach added another 3 to extend the lead 42-36 and the Hawkeyes never looked back, finishing 81-66. It is this very team they face in the first round on Wednesday and Jensen is expecting the same energy. “They’ll have some confidence with the first half, right? Hopefully, we’ll have some confidence with how we came out in the second half. But I don’t really have a feeling. I just know — it’s not my first rodeo — anything happens in March,” the head coach says.

With 30 consecutive wins over Wisconsin and a winning momentum to end the regular season on their side, the Hawkeyes stand with a 93.8% win prediction in their favor. After a rough season, Iowa has a real chance here and it is only natural fans wish for Caitlin in the stands. After all, her energy seemed to have translated when the Hawkeyes squandered USC during her jersey retirement. But how likely is the Fever icon to make an appearance?

Where is Caitlin Clark?

While Iowa is gearing up for March Madness, Caitlin Clark is fully engaged in her WNBA off-season workout routine. Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White says Clark has been working hard to get stronger. “She figured out right away that ‘I need to get stronger, I can’t get knocked around as much,” White said, noting Clark’s commitment to advancing her game.

Clark’s regular offseason workout is certainly no picnic, starting with 100 three-point tries and 300 total shots, combined with conditioning and ball-handling sessions. With new player development coach Keith Porter at the helm, the 23-year-old has been occupied at the practice facility. She wouldn’t even miss a session on her birthday. So it is likely Clark will be at another one of those when the Hawkeyes make their way closer to her home. But hopefully this time, her Hawkeyes spirit comes alive.

Whether or not Clark shows up, her influence on the program and her ongoing support from afar will remind us that, for some athletes, relationships forged in college sports remain profound. For the time being, Hawkeye faithful can take solace knowing that even as she dons the Fever jersey, Caitlin Clark’s heart still bleeds “Go Hawks!”