Iowa Reflects on Unforgettable Team and Season
CLEVELAND -- "It feels horrible, if I'm being honest," Kate Matin said when asked her emotions after Iowa's 87-75 loss to South Carolina in the national championship game. "I never want anybody to feel like this."
Losing sucks. Especially for a group that made it to back-to-back national championship games and couldn't quite pull off a victory in either.
"We gave our best effort," Martin said. "We left it all on the court. I don't have any regrets."
Iowa started the game on fire offensively, and took an early 20-9 lead. Then South Carolina began to chip away. The lead was just 27-20 at the end of the first quarter, and thanks to a late run the Gamecocks took a 49-46 lead to halftime. They largely controlled the second half on their way to the eventual 12-point victory.
Last year, South Carolina had the size, athleticism, and defensive intensity to dominate its opponents. The only thing the Gamecocks lacked was shooting. They were just 4-of-20 from three in Iowa's 77-73 upset win in the Final Four last year.
This year, coach Dawn Staley fixed that issue. The Gamecocks went 8-of-19 from three-point range and made plenty of other mid-range jumpers just as Iowa was making a run.
"There's a reason they're undefeated," associate head coach Jan Jensen said after the game. "We would've had to hit threes at a very high rate [to beat them]."
As hard as losing is, this Iowa team will be remembered for far more than two national runner up finishes.
Doing So Much For So Many
"Every day [on this run] I woke with emails from people who were downtrodden," Jensen said. "They're in the hospital, they're going through something. But they were just so happy they had this game to watch."
There are a lot of challenges in the world -- wars, natural disasters, political division, amng others. To say nothing of the illnesses, accidents, and other issues that impact individuals and families.
For nearly six months now, Iowa women's basketball has offered a reprieve from many of those challenges, a few hours of solace a few days a week.
Early on, Caitlin Clark, Gabbie Marshall, and Martin welcomed two new starters into the lineup after playing so long with the same starting five. They did so nearly seamlessly, going 11-1 early on, including a big non-conference win over Virginia Tech and getting revenge over the Kansas State team that had beaten them earlier in the season.
In the middle of the season, the record chase was on. Clark passed record after record, ultimately becoming the all-time leading scorer for NCAA and Division I. Rarely did a game pass Clark didn't break a record of some kind.
"She's really delivered about every game" Jensen said of Clark's play with so many eyes upon her. "I don't know what player delivered about every single game they played."
In the process, women's basketball got to celebrate some of the legends of the game who made their marks before the game received the massive coverage it's received during the last few years. A celebration of Clark became another moment in the sun for people who helped pave the way for Clark's greatness.
Then at season's end, it was about growing the game even further while making one last run. 9.9 million people watched last year's national championship game. The Iowa's Elite Eight showdown with LSU, a rematch of last year's national championship, drew 12.3 million viewers. The Final Four game between Iowa and UConn game topped that with 14.2 million viewers. This national championship game will likely blow those numbers out of the water.
The people watched to see Clark's greatness, yes, but it was for more than just her highlights or to see what record she might break next. It was the way Clark made them feel -- the sense of wonder at seeing her try something audacious and achieving it and the joy with which Clark and her teammates played.
"Our legacy is the joy we've brought to the state of Iowa. To little boys, girls, and people across the country," Martin said. "I hope they remember the love and passion we played with. I hope they remember how we made them feel."
Remembering won't be an issue. In a few short years, these Iowa players and coaches have made a lifetime's worth of memories. They culminated in a season for the ages.
A Culture of Love
In the aftermath of the national championship game, Coach Lisa Bluder's focus was on her players. "Lisa just talked about how much we love them," Coach Jensen said of Bluder's postgame talk. "They've inspired so many people."
Right or not, our society is hyper-focused on championships. Much of the national discourse this weekend was about whether or not Clark needed a championship to be considered the greatest college player of all time.
No one could've faulted Bluder for being down, or for taking a moment to just be sad or mad that she couldn't quite win that elusive title. But she didn't -- because that's not the program she has built.
Take Sharon Goodman, a senior who saw her role on the team shrink as the season progressed. In the final seconds of the game, Goodman checked in for one final time in an Iowa uniform.
"It was really special. I think that's what made me start crying," Goodman said.
Goodman wasn't talking about taking the floor one final time, though. She was talking about fellow senior Molly Davis.
Davis was a starter for most of the season, before going down with an injury in Iowa's senior day win over Ohio State. Since then she's worked to get back from injury to contribute to Iowa's postseason run, but couldn't get healthy in time. Bluder made sure she got on the floor one last time so that she could get some final recognition from the Iowa crowd.
"That girl is so relentless," Goodman said through tears.
Or take Martin's response about why she was happy to make the championship game: "I always wanted to play until the very last day because I wanted to spend as much time with my coaches and teammates as possible."
Every coach talks about building a great culture. Bluder and Iowa have achieved one of the best in the sport.
Bluder's Legacy
"I think it's one of the best decisions I've made in my life," Clark said of her decision to commit to Iowa. Clark could have committed to a blue blood program to chase titles. Instead, she took the path less traveled. She led her home state program on the two most memorable seasons is program history. Bluder was instrumental in Clark's development into the player she is today.
"She let me be me," Clark said. "Most coaches around the country wouldn't let me take the shots I take."
From day one, Bluder handed Clark the keys to the offense. She let Clark launch her logo threes because more often than not, those are good shots for her. She let Clark make mistakes in transition because more often than not Clark's crazy passes led to easy baskets for her teammates.
Yes, there were teachable moments, and times when Bluder needed to rein Clark in. But much of Clark's greatness today is a result of having a coach who trusted her to be great. Who let her be her in a world where logo threes and full court passes just don't happen in women's basketball with any regularity.
Bluder's legacy goes beyond the way she molded the sport's most transcendent star. It will live on for decades in the life lessons she taught to her team. Martin intends to go into coaching when her basketball career is done. She plans to take plenty of Bluder's lessons with her:
"Her values. Her belief in all of us. That's what I want to carry into my coaching career," Martin said. "I wouldn't have half the confidence I do if it wasn't for her."
"We'll Celebrate a Lot"
Audiences loved the show Ted Lasso in large part because of the title character's attitude. No matter what adversity he faced in his daily life, he always found the positives. He was a ray of sunshine in an often cruel world.
Jan Jensen is a real life embodiment of Lasso. Whether it be a quick message on social media after a tough loss or thoughtful postgame comments at a time when thoughtfulness is rare. It's no surprise, then, that Jensen offered the best perspective on Iowa's season after the game:
"I feel like we've won. With this team. With the relationships you build. They're so incredibly special. So [losing] stings, but I think we'll celebrate a lot."