“While this season is far from over and we have a lot more goals to achieve, it will be my last one at Iowa.” Caitlin Clark announcing her WNBA move in March 2024 was bigger than a mic drop for Iowa. Their star guard, who was yet to cross Pete Maravich’s NCAA all-time scoring record and take the Hawkeyes for a second straight NCAA championship game, had officially decided to forego her COVID-19 waiver for a fifth year. But the journey to reach that point wasn’t easy. 

When Caitlin Clark met Lisa Bluder, the then-HC knew there was something special about the touted Dowling High player. But she did not know the extent. By her junior year, Clark’s logo-3s had already become her trademark. The traction increased, and the NCAA WBB saw sky-high ratings. But the National title eluded her. Before March Madness could even begin, debates started. Should the No. 22 leave Iowa or make another run at the Natty? Legends like Dawn Staley openly quoted that she won’t be an NCAA GOAT if she doesn’t have the ring. Although the Hawkeyes reached the final dance against Staley’s South Carolina, they failed again. Stakes got higher.

Bluder asked once again, “Will you return?” The decision turned into a dilemma for Clark. In the WNBA, Los Angeles had better odds of winning the first overall pick in the draft lottery over Indiana. The midwestern girl like her didn’t want to move to the West. In the NCAA, Clark knew she could go on another successful run and possibly win the national title. But she didn’t rely on the chances, making her choice as Indiana won the lottery. Still, when it comes to the challenge of deciding, the first-overall pick cannot help but remember Bluder, like she did recently.

On the Bird’s Eye View podcast, Sue Bird asked her guest about the draft. Instead of talking about the draft night in New York that over 2.45 million people watched, Clark first talked about the factors she considered in making her decision. She answered, “I remember when the draft lottery happened actually. It was between Indiana and… who was the team with the second best odds? (…) Maybe it was LA, I think LA had the second-best odds to get the first pick. So, it’s probably between those two teams to get the first pick. I don’t remember, but I didn’t wanna go to LA. But I wanted Indiana to get the first pick…

“I probably would have (left college after four years) but it was definitely still up in the air in senior year. Eventually, the senior year kind of went on, (I’m) like, ‘This just needs to be the end.’ Like, ‘What is there more for me to do here? It’s time to start a new chapter of my life.’ Like, ‘I’ve done plenty here’. Like, whatever. I think Indiana was a good spot for me to start my professional career. (…)

“I’m a Midwest gal, I think the franchise was in a place, like, having the type of core players that could help me successful too. Like they had AB (Aliyah Boston), we had, Kels (Kelsey Mitchell) was here, Lex (Lexie Hull) was here. I think that was really attractive. So, I think that was that. I knew for a while but I didn’t really tell anyone. Connor knew. But other than that, my parents kind of knew but they never really pushed. I kind of told them how I was feeling, what I was thinking. It was always like ‘I’m going to continue to think about it.’

“That’s kind of like what I told everybody. Even Coach Bluder. We would like go back and forth and obvioulsy, that (leaving Iowa) was hard. Because Coach Bluder, she wanted me to come back. That was her job to get her best player back on her roster; anybody would’ve done that. But at the same time, when I made my final decision, obviously she was very happy for me. But then I decided and told my close circle of people. I made sure I announced it before senior day. I didn’t want to go through senior day with that looming question mark.”

That time, LA ran ahead of Indiana and Chicago for the first overall pick. However, the Fever, who won the lottery in the previous year to draft Aliyah Boston at the first spot, won again. Still, it’s not a common sentiment for players to avoid going to the bigger markets, after all, it doesn’t get bigger than LA! And who fits the check better than the player who, quite literally, sent shockwaves through the media?

Moreover, the Sparks are a highly sought-after team, with Forbes putting their valuation at around $235 million in 2025, but Indiana just looked like the perfect fit for Clark. And the rest, as they say, is history. As for what she left in Iowa, the bond between Bluder and Clark was special. How could it not, after making two back-to-back Championship games together? As Clark moved to the WNBA, Bluder also took a leave from her celebrated career as the Iowa Hawkeyes coach to pass the torch to her assistant Jan Jensen.

Overall, it was for the better that Caitlin Clark entered the big leagues. Despite being in a highly talented draft class, she was always assumed to be the first-overall pick. With players of caliber like Boston and Mitchell, and potential risers like Hull, Clark helped bloom further. We’ve been witnessing the Indiana Fever’s rise. However, there’s still a long way to go, and this season didn’t help.

With all the injuries and downtime, Clark’s sophomore WNBA season hasn’t been the same. The Indiana Fever star certainly feels the same.

Frustrated Caitlin Clark gets candid about injury struggles

After the Indiana Fever star broke records aplenty, swept the ROTY title, and ended up fourth on the MVP list last year, everyone expected a huge breakout season. And with the way the off-season was turning out? It was a pretty fair ask. With Natasha Howard at post, Sophie Cunningham for defense, and Sydney Colson joining forces for experience, it should’ve been light work.

Still, this season has been a period of trial and tribulation for the Fever star. Injuries just haven’t left her alone! First, her left quad strain kept her away for five games. Now, her bilateral groin strain has kept her off the floor. She has missed a total of 18 games so far, and it’s been frustrating for everyone involved, especially the competitive point guard.

While talking to Sue Bird on her podcast, Caitlin Clark admitted just how gruelling this period of injury has been for her. “It’s just been so challenging being active, playing four games, and then not. And then not feeling the best and then frustrated of how hard I worked in the offseason and all I do is rehab and continue to do this process. … I think that’s been the hardest part, the stop-and-go of everything.” 

The entire process has been very challenging for all parties involved. Indiana has had to learn how to adjust, while Stephanie White has dealt with endless criticism for her role in CC’s failed return to sport. We’ve found some diamonds in the rough because of this, no doubt! But everyone wants the Fever to feel fresh again, and to see Caitlin Clark dishing out dimes and threes. With no concrete timeline on her return, it will be interesting to see how Clark is reintegrated into the Indiana Fever when she does come back. Stay tuned for more!