“Everybody can bring their authentic self to our space and our circle and I think that’s what’s most important,” says Raina Harmon, assistant coach at the University of Iowa. Under Lisa Bluder and Jan Jensen, the Iowa Hawkeyes had a friendly culture that showed in their on-court performance. Now Bluder may have retired, but Jensen and Harmon continue the culture. And the assistant coach also looks back on what it was like to have the duo of Caitlin Clark and Kate Martin for four years.

Appearing on the Taco-Bout Network’s Fresh Tawk with Hawkeyes junior Jada Gyamfi, Harmon discussed what the bond was like among players. “Close. Like we’re all just close. And it doesn’t matter where people are from, what you believe, we’re just close,” says the assistant coach.

“So you and some of them that left this past year, you guys are really tight. But it also wouldn’t be anything to see you guys hanging out with Sydney [Affolter], or like hanging out with Hannah [Stuelke] or Caitlin hanging out with Kylie. So I think there’s just mutual respect and actual friendship.”

The Hawkeye connection is so strong that we all got to see Gabbie Marshall and Jada Gyamfi attend the 2024 WNBA Draft event. Then, they made sure to attend as many games as they could. In fact, even former and current head coaches Lisa Bluder and Jan Jensen made it to two of the Iowa alums’ matchups against each other.

Then Harmon echoed what is usually considered the norm in team sports, that off the court the relationship does not have to reflect on-court as long as the performance is good. “When I came into coaching, I would always hear this thing like, ‘We don’t need you to be friends, we just need you to be good teammates on the floor,'” Harmon tells Gyamfi. But she doesn’t necessarily agree.

“Sure that’s fine, but you can have a lot more success if you’re actually friends. So that’s what I realized, like you guys actually love each other, you guys actually do things with each other out of basketball. And the way that you guys know each other off the court just helps all the success that we’ve had on the court,” Harmon continues on Fresh Tawk with Jada Gyamfi.

The trio of Gabbie Marshall, Caitlin Clark, and Kate Martin was essential to the Hawkeyes’ success – they went to two consecutive NCAA Finals together. They also met up with each other recently, their first year after college. While Marshall has retired from basketball to continue her studies, they still remain friends with each other, including Gyamfi.

In fact, Martin and CC being on different WNBA teams has not affected their bond at all.

Caitlin Clark trash talk when playing against the Aces and Kate Martin wouldn’t have it any other way

When Caitlin Clark and Kate Martin faced each other for the first time as professional players, the Fever guard said to the official handing the ball to Martin, “Man, she’s not very good at basketball isn’t she?” The Aces guard was trying to be serious but her former teammate was all about having fun on the court. It also helped that Clark was about to guard her best friend for the first time in their pro careers and couldn’t stop smiling.

Later, Martin couldn’t help but do the same as she told USA TODAY Sports, “It’s so rare in this league for two people from the same team to both make it, unless you go to UConn or South Carolina or something, there’s so many of them in the league.”

That Iowa class was a special one and Martin knows it. Even though their rookie years were different, the former Iowa player was glad to go through it with her best friend by her side.

“It’s really nice to have one of your best friends going through a similar experience. She knows exactly what I mean every time I say something; it’s hard to talk to other friends (about the WNBA) because they just don’t understand our jobs,” Martin said.

In retrospect, the No. 22 has also mentioned how Martin and her would talk over call or at least send a text or two to stay connected. Indeed, a friendship that has won hearts in the WNBA already. The two meeting each other and hugging has been a glimpse worth catching before every Indiana Fever vs the Las Vegas Aces matchup.

Even with different team jersey colors now, the two try to keep up with each other’s stat lines and share basketball tips. But as Raina Harmon said, their conversation is not solely focused on basketball – it also involves them getting each other’s opinions on pre-game outfits! And who wouldn’t bond over some chit-chat?