During the 2017-18 season, Notre Dame’s Arike Ogunbowale achieved a rare feat. She, during her ascension to the Championship title, hit two buzzer-beaters. “I was thinking about, ‘Wow, I want to be them one day,’” Gabbie Marshall revealed when she got to the Final Four with the Iowa Hawkeyes in the 2022-23 season. However, contrary to how fans would expect, Marshall’s dreams coming true were more exhausting for her than giving her solace.

Marshall relived her 2022-23 NCAA Final Four experience with the Hawkeyes on her podcast Just Gabbin’. “Right when we get to Dallas, right off the plane we’re walking into the airport building. And they have this like dance party for us. And I’m like ‘Oh my gosh. We just traveled!’ They have blaring music, they have a throne, they make us sit on it whatever… I mean it was awesome. I’m trying to enjoy the experience. I’m exhausted. So I’m like trying to dance, like all the stuff and then we get to the hotel, our rooms are all decorated. Thanks to Final Four,” Marshall stated.

The Hawkeyes had first got to the Final Four in 1993 followed by a long draught. Hence, when Marshall came to Iowa during her freshman year in 2019, she would have wanted to fulfill her dream of making it to that stage. And the Lisa Bluder-coached team did just that during the 2022-23 season. They had an exceptional 26-6 run leading up to the NCAA tournament. And behind their astounding performance was Caitlin Clark who was in her junior year. And while the hype around the Hawkeyes was worth living, it also took a toll on, at least, Gabbie Marshall. The reason? They had a lot to do!

“We get some pillows… like we go upstairs and it was like a game room with ping pong and massage chair, X boxes, pop a shot, snacks, putting green…. So like everyday when you practice there, like 3 or 2 people have media like you’re doing a press conference And luckily that year was like Monika, Kate, Caitlin… So I kinda got off lucky in that way. Sometimes I did obviously. There’s going to be 3 of them 5 starters. But so you have that and then go back and you like maybe lay for an hour and then you eat…,” Marshall added.

As is the case, such top-notch performances as a team require one to give it all. And while the celebrations continued in Dallas during the Final Four, Marshall felt exhausted. However, she mentioned it as a joke and Clark’s changing fortune, not only got her to win the Player of the Year one more time in 2023-24 but also earned Marshall a lot of recognition. But going forward the Hawkeyes once again failed to capture the title.

Gabbie Marshall lives for these moments

The next year, the Hawkeyes were up against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the Championship Finale once again. Then, Marshall was asked about the feeling of returning to the title game and performing at a neutral venue. The 24-year-old opined “We live for those big moments.” But she was contained throughout the game, scoring only 6 points with 3 rebounds.

Furthermore, she also expressed it was these games, she wanted to play in as they had sold out arenas. Therefore, while Marshall looked to be exhausted from the process of the last season, it was something she looked for in her next quest. However, this time the Gamecocks got the better of them. And with this, the Hawkeyes were once again denied the title.

And perhaps, now that Marshall’s admission has been made, her other teammates will also reveal the process of going into big games. And maybe this will give new goals to upcoming players, who much like how Marshall looked up to Ogunbowale, will consider Marshall her idol.