Caitlin Clark hopes Iowa inspired 'joy' as dream season ends

DALLAS — After a landmark women's NCAA tournament where she led the Iowa Hawkeyes to their first national championship game and put her name in multiple places in the NCAA record book, Caitlin Clark leaned on the shoulder of teammate Monika Czinano and shed a few tears after Sunday's 102-85 loss to the LSU Tigers.

But then Clark pulled herself together and talked about how special this season has been for Iowa, especially for a kid who grew up in the state. The native of West Des Moines, Iowa, has been the center of attention of a very popular team.

«I want my legacy to be the impact that I can have on young kids and the people in the state of Iowa, and I hope I brought them a lot of joy this season,» Clark said. «I hope this team brought them a lot of joy. I understand we came up one win short, but I think we have a lot to be proud of and a lot to celebrate.»

Clark's 191 points, 60 assists and 32 3-pointers are all records for a single women's NCAA tournament since the event began in 1982. Her point total actually was the most in either women's or men's NCAA tournament history. Clark was responsible for 63% of the Hawkeyes' offense in the tournament through either scoring or assists.

«She's a phenomenal basketball player. She's showed that time and time again,» Czinano said. «She's doing it the right way. She's doing it the fun way and being a role model for little kids who want to grow up and be like her. That's a great thing.»

Clark had 30 points, eight assists and two rebounds against LSU, and said afterward she felt that she didn't drive enough. At the same time, she said the Tigers' defense was so good, they didn't give her many opportunities.

«Sometimes you just have to live with it and give the other team