February 2, 2025. Mark this day in Iowa history. One of the greatest to have ever worn a Hawkeyes jersey got her flowers. Caitlin Clark’s No. 22 was officially retired. And if that wasn’t sweet enough, Iowa made sure to turn the night into an all-out celebration by pulling off a massive win against USC. There was no way they were letting their biggest star’s special night get spoiled with an L. But while all eyes were on Clark, ever wonder what was going on in the locker room before all the madness unfolded?

Well, Lucy Olsen spilled the tea. Rachel Annamarie DeMita sat down with the Iowa star, and let’s just say, the emotions were all over the place before tip-off.

DeMita brought up a story she had heard from Coach Jan, who had told the team to focus on the game first before celebrating CC’s jersey retirement. But the moment they walked into practice, there were No. 22 towels spread across the gym. The host wondered if that moment made it a little harder for the team to stay locked in.

Olsen remembered the scene well. Caitlin had even practiced with them that day or the day before, which was already exciting, but she did share that the towels made everything feel different. They knew her jersey was getting retired. Still, she admitted, “It was weird. The whole thing just felt so different than the rest of the season.”

With USC on the schedule and a big win still missing from their season, the stakes felt high. “We were just like, ‘Alright, Caitlin’s getting her jersey retired, we’re playing USC, we haven’t really won a big game yet… we kinda need this one, but let’s just see what happens.’”

So yes, a whole rollercoaster of emotions. Meanwhile, Clark herself summed up the feeling in one word—“weird,” too. For the first time, she was back at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, not as the one leading the charge, but as a fan, just taking in the game. Despite that feeling, she was living every single moment. 

She was up on her feet when Iowa hit threes, animatedly calling for travel violations, and probably yelling at the refs under her breath like she was still on the court. By the time Iowa sealed the 76-69 win, the crowd was losing it. Students stormed the court. Clark, standing in the stands, just flashed a knowing smile because this was her house, and it still roared like old times. 

Then, the moment of the night. The 2024 Draft’s first pick watched as her No. 22 took its rightful place in the rafters. As her jersey ascended, Clark teared up. Because, well, how could she not? Every moment, every shot, every game that led to this, it all came rushing back. Sandwiched between legends, her banner now stands as a permanent reminder of everything she did for Iowa.

But funny enough- the number she’s now synonymous with? She didn’t even wear it in high school.

Can you imagine Caitlin Clark without 22? 

Believe it or not, Caitlin Clark wasn’t always rocking the iconic No. 22. Back at Dowling Catholic, she wasn’t even allowed to. A rule at the school banned even-numbered jerseys, so she had to settle for No. 11. But that didn’t stop her from dominating. 

She still tore up the circuit, playing with No. 22 for Iowa Attack in AAU, and making sure everyone knew exactly who she was before she even set foot in college.

And when she got to Iowa? She made sure to snatch up the No. 22 jersey as soon as it was available. Others had worn it before—Kathleen Doyle, Samantha Logic—but Clark took it to heights no one had ever seen. 

She shattered the all-time NCAA scoring record, became the first player in Division I history (men’s or women’s) to lead their conference in points and assists for four straight years, and made back-to-back national title appearances. Simply put, she put the program on the map. 

Then came the WNBA. No. 22 followed her to Indiana, where she took over as well. She led the league in assists as a rookie, dropped a single-game assist record, and dragged the Fever back to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. And she was WNBA Rookie of the Year. 

Now, she’s gearing up for Year 2, already second in MVP odds. Can she make it happen? If history has shown us anything, betting against Caitlin Clark is never a good idea.