The Hyball is a weekly basketball column.

These words are not minced -- they're Mount Rushmore.

Caitlin Clark is STILL THE GREATEST IOWA ATHLETE EVER. Each capped letter, a different president, spanning centuries.

Back at the non-Rivals version of GIA, I wrote a column with a similar title minus the word still. Because, even earlier in her career, I'd seen enough. She had nothing left to prove a long time ago. One of only bummer parts about the move to this space is the archive is a little tricker to pull up. Were it not, that would be the old link I most regularly sent out on a weekly basis to the new fans she's making with every individual dribble of a basketball; like deer tracks scattered through fresh fallen snow.

Her name, her number, her story, her swagger, her narrative, her transcendence. Between Megan Gustafson, Luka Garza, Keegan and Kris Murray, and Monika Czinano, we've watched more than a few stellar hoopers pass through Iowa City this last decade, but you and I both know she is different. She bends it. She breaks it. She picks up a Gatorade endorsement. She's been compared

to Steph Curry for her shooting, and I once compared her to LeBron James, as it pertained to fully delivering on all of her hype. But maybe we add Jay-Z to that. Why couldn't she be a mogul?

I'm simply done with ceilings here. It would be asinine to start with those now. When this basketball column started, three seasons ago, it was an Iowa men's basketball-centric piece with a little Caitlin Clark section featured each week. Now? It's completely inversed (saying this with zero shade, at all, to the men's team).

For so many years, it seemed like droves and droves of fans and media alike rooted against women's basketball; like any potential success was a threat. But these ladies grew it. I'm talking the millions before Queen C and hopefully the billions after.

The rabbit's got the gun. Are we having fun?

She's still the greatest because she maintained. She's still the greatest because she grew. She's still, mercifully, the greatest because she stayed. Here. To entertain us. To become a global brand while still on campus in Iowa City. The easiest way to end this is by saying "We will never see anything like this again," but the greatest insult to Caitlin Clark would be to ever put a limit on her reach.

"You don't want the people you love to leave you, and they don't."

12/30 - No. 4 Iowa 94, Minnesota 71: This was a fun little start to conference play. The Gophers came in 11-1, with their lone loss being to UConn. Their two biggest wins were against 9-5 Purdue and .500 Kentucky, but still. Big Ten foe, let's turn up. And the ladies, as you know, did. Additional notes:

- Gabbie Marshall, whose shooting slump is becoming a five alarm fire, was a dog on defense in this game; she's always had that reputation, but this one served as a wonderful reminder of what her peak looks like

- Similar to Michigan State a few days later, Minnesota had a real steadiness to the way they played; in the face of heat checks, a raucous crowd, and double digit leads, neither team looked unsure or unready for the environment; credit to them, as I'd be broken into a million pieces

- Caitlin Clark assist record game

- This Kate Martin spin assist is the stuff dreams are made of (3:50 mark)

- Lastly, big ups to Hannah Stuelke* for going an impressive 90% from the field (9/10 shooting!)

(* - and whose name I know how to spell now)

1/2 - No. 4 Iowa 76, Michigan State 73: Had even more notes for this game, but after The Shot Part 2, I no longer do.

Send it. Send it to the ones who still don't know. Maybe they'll print it.

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Didn't watch the men's game, not gonna fake it for the sake of faking it this week; I apologize.

Little late '90s throwback.

Yup.

Listen, I never said I'd handle Michigan making the natty with any sort of class.

Speaking of crying, my wife and I are expecting our first child on 1/9 -- and the natty is 1/8. Between this column and next week's column could* feature the greatest 24 stretch of my entire life.

(* - WILL, DAMN IT)

Nothing can stop this--

oh wtf are you doing, 1992 Bobby?!

Gonna, very very very very very very hopefully, go win the natty and meet my daughter.

Love y'all, Go Hawks. And, if you'll allow me just this week, Go Blue.

Bobby Loesch is a weekly contributor to Go Iowa Awesome. Find him on Twitter @bobbystompy, Instagram @bobbystompy, or email at bobbyloesch [at] gmail.com.