Caitlin Clark: ‘I’ll be able to sleep at night even though I never won a national championship’

For the second time in two seasons, the Hawkeyes are the runners-up in the national championship game.

The legendary career of Caitlin Clark comes to a close without a championship. However, she believes there’s no shame in finishing in second place.

“There’s not a regret in mind of how things went. I’ll be able to sleep every night without a national championship,” Clark said.

“I think that’s the thing about everything I’ve done is there’s so much to be proud of. I don’t sit and sulk about the things that never happened.

“My mom always taught me keep your head high and be proud of everything you accomplished. I think I’m still hungry for a lot more, too.”

‘It’s been a special year’: Hawkeyes’ Caitlin Clark wins 2nd consecutive Naismith Trophy

Caitlin Clark added another Naismith Trophy to her collection and Hawkeye Headquarters was there when the Iowa star got it.

This makes it two years in a row for Clark – that hasn’t happened since 2016.

It recognizes her as the best player in women’s college basketball.

Clark got the award at a ceremony in Cleveland on Wednesday. She was the favorite going into it after her record-breaking season. Clark says it’s an honor to win again.

“Very cool to see how this has grown every time,” Clark said. “We got to get bigger and bigger rooms, so I think that just speaks to where women’s basketball is. I think it’s been a special year for women’s basketball and also to win this award is really special.”

Clark joins an exclusive list of just 10 players to win multiple Naismith player of the year awards.

“It means that you can come to Iowa and reach your dream, right?” Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder said. “I mean, when we’ve had Megan Gustafson get it, and now Caitlin twice.

It means that you can come to the University of Iowa and reach the very top levels of success and all of your dreams can really come true at Iowa.”

“Sometimes, in the past, you know, that might have been a hurdle,” associate head coach Jan Jensen said. “And I think that Megan winning it helped us get Caitlin. And then Caitlin just, you know, blew the door wide open.”

“Caitlin really does everything,” said Stanford’s Cameron Brink, who won the defensive player of the year at the event. “I think a little bit of everything. And that’s what makes her so special.

You watch her and you’re like she’s really a generational talent. So we just have to thank her; she’s brought so much to the women’s game and she’s just going to continue doing that.”

“She’s a prolific scorer, but her passing is basically her separator,” said South Carolina’s Dawn Staley, who won the Naismith coach of the year award. “And who she’s passing to is taking practice shots. These are like wide open shots.”

Of course Clark didn’t come to Cleveland just for the player of the year announcement.

Her and the Hawkeyes practice on Thursday as they prepare for a Final Four game against UConn on Friday.

Marshall’s block, Affolter’s three-point play put Iowa in front for good, igniting the Hawkeyes to a 64-54 win over West Virginia.

Call it a season-saving sequence.

Iowa had squandered a 10-point lead, and West Virginia’s J.J. Quinerly was lining up a 3-point shot from the right wing for the lead.

Instead, Gabbie Marshall made the defensive play of the game. Maybe the defensive play of the year.

“I had to do something for my team,” she said.

Marshall blocked Quinerly’s shot, and Sydney Affolter converted a three-point play moments later.

That six-point swing ignited the second-ranked Hawkeyes to a 12-2 run in the final 2:03, and ultimately a 64-54 NCAA second-round win Monday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

“Gabbie made an amazing defensive play,” Affolter said. “Then I saw a lane and I took it.”

It was Marshall’s third block of the season, the 13th of her career. And it was reminiscent of a key swat she had in overtime against Nebraska in the Big Ten tournament final.

“To have that moment, it was amazing,” Marshall said.

One of five Hawkeyes making her final Carver appearance, Marshall didn’t score a point Monday. But her block — and Affolter’s conversion — was as big of a play as any that Iowa (31-4) mustered all night.

Watch the video here:

“Gabbie didn’t score, but she never stops working her butt off on defense,” said Kate Martin, another senior.

“That play motivated us. You see that play, and you see that kind of passion in Gabbie, and it’s infectious. Then Syd, she had an opportunity and made a play at the rim.”

Iowa could have been down 55-52 had Quinerly nailed that 3-pointer with 2:12 left. Instead, Marshall made the swat, Affolter made the play on the other end of the court, and the Hawkeyes were up 55-52 at the 2:03 mark.

The remainder of the game was a free-throw fiesta. Iowa made 14 of 15 in the final 4:46, and the back end of Affolter’s three-point play started a 10-of-11 spree from the line in the final 2:03.

That included a late 3-of-4 from Hannah Stuelke, who had missed a pair earlier in the fourth quarter.

Stuelke was a 46-percent free-throw shooter as a freshman. This year, she’s up to 62 percent.

“Going into these big games, I’m going to need to knock down free throws, and I think this is a stepping stone to that for sure,” Stuelke said.

There’s at least one more big game to play, and perhaps as many as four.

Iowa will face No. 17 Colorado (24-9) in a Sweet 16 contest at 2:30 (CT) Saturday at MVP Arena in Albany, N.Y.

No. 6 UCLA (27-6) meets No. 8 LSU (30-5) in the other regional semifinal, at noon.

The regional final is 6 p.m. Monday.

Nika Mühl spoke through tears as she described to Geno Auriemma the impact he has had on her life. Auriemma provided levity with his sense of humor. They hugged in his office.

It wasn’t goodbye, but an emotional see-you-later.

“I love you,” Auriemma said as they embraced, a scene captured by the UConn women’s basketball program’s social media team and posted to X.

“I love you so much,” Mühl said back.

And then Mühl, who grew particularly close to Auriemma during her four years at UConn, was off to pursue her WNBA career. The Huskies’ all-time assists leader, she was selected 14th overall last week by the Seattle Storm.

“I’ll have to get your schedule,” Auriemma said soon after Mühl entered. “As soon as you guys are playing …”

“If I make the team,” Mühl said.

“Come on, stop,” Auriemma said. “It will take you one practice to figure out what you’ve got to do to make the team. And then you just do that. They drafted you for a reason. So do what they drafted you for. Bring a different culture to them, that pros don’t have.”

“That UConn culture,” Mühl said.

“Bring that UConn culture to them,” Auriemma said.

Mühl, of Croatia, chose to turn professional instead of exercise the additional year of eligibility offered to every student-athlete whose time in college overlapped with the pandemic.

She arrived as a freshman in 2020, parachuting into the bizarre world of COVID basketball bubbles and isolation, became fast friends with classmate Paige Bueckers and spent four years injecting her unique personality into the Huskies’ program.

A defensive specialist, Mühl also broke Sue Bird’s record for most career assists, thriving in the backcourt even as Bueckers missed most of two seasons due to injury. She was indispensable.

Now Mühl will work for Bird in Seattle. The Storm announced Wednesday that Bird had joined the franchise’ ownership group.

Mühl didn’t win a national championship at UConn like Bird, but she leaves having found herself and having offered new levels of entertainment to a fan base, and a needed level of hot-headed defensive intensity to UConn teams so often limited by one unprecedented wave of injuries after the next.

When Muhl entered Auriemma’s office Wednesday, Auriemma said he had been watching her shoot in the gym that his office overlooks.

“You didn’t shoot like that when you played here, back in the day,” Auriemma said. “You’re ancient history.”

Mühl smiled with a quizzical look. She soon got serious.

“I just thank you,” Mühl said. “Like, you changed my life. Your impact, I don’t think you’re aware of it. To an extent you are, but you’ve impacted so many people around me, including me. … There’s never been a single person like you and there never will be in the world. And I hope you know how unique you are and how special you …”

Auriemma cut her off.

“Are you describing yourself?” he said. “Are you talking about you right now?”

“Not but, seriously,” Muhl continued. “You’re just legendary, but not as a coach. To me you’re legendary as a person. And I’ll cherish that forever. … You changed me, man.”

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Muhl, who idolizes Dennis Rodman, was a two-time Big East defensive player of the year. Where Bueckers was all flash and flair for her offensive gifts, Mühl was all hustle and muscle in the way she approached each game, each possession.

Former teammates Evina Westbrook called her “Gnat” for the way she played. Off the court, she Mühl was more gentle, fun and personable while in the public eye.

Muhl had asked Auriemma and associate head coach Chris Dailey to schedule a game against Ball State her senior season, and it came to be on Dec. 7, 2023. Her younger sister, Hana Mühl and Ball State visited Gampel Pavilion. Their parents, father Darko and mother Roberta, made the trip from Croatia to attend the game.

“Surreal,” Darko said that night. “When you think, two people from Croatia, enjoying this moment is special. It shows that anything is possible. Those two were able to get here with their work. It’s a great family story, right? I think this is a perfect moment for us.”

Hana has since transferred to Manhattan.

Nika, 23, who set the UConn single-game record with 15 assists against NC State in 2022, has closed her college chapter. In announcing she would do on March 8, she posted pictures of herself and Auriemma in Auriemma’s black Mercedes-Benz and wrote, “Last ride with my G.”

On Wednesday they hugged as UConn player and UConn coach for the final time.

“I don’t think anybody here will forget you,” Auriemma said. “You won’t let them. You’ll be back a lot.”