The University Of Iowa Needs To Do This For Caitlin Clark Immediately

It's not every season that a transcending player is on a roster. Typically these players come around once in a generation and it's clear when you watch them just how special they are. We all got to witness that with Iowa's Caitlin Clark.

The West Des Moines native not only captured the heart of Iowans but the attention of the nation. With her electrifying play, logo 3s, grit, trash talk, talent, and blatant love for basketball, Caitlin has been nothing short of special to watch.

Hawkeye fans are going to miss her talent but we're all excited to see what she does in the WNBA or maybe the BIG3 league. But her legacy in Iowa and with the Iowa Hawkeyes will never be forgotten.

On Wednesday, April 10th, 2024, during the final celebration of this historic team with this historic player, Iowa Athletic Director Beth Goetz announced they would be retiring Caitlin's No. 22 jersey.

A great honor for sure, but the University of Iowa needs to take it one step further. For the past four years inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena on that wooden floor, Caitlin has made several magical moments. She has changed the game of women's basketball, broken most of its records, and transcended the sport. It's time Iowa gives that court a name: Caitlin Clark Court.

WATCH: Caitlin Clark Reveals Where She Keeps All Her Trophies

One Of The Greatest To Play The Game

While her career and the careers of her fellow seniors didn't end with a championship title, greatness can't be debated with Caitlin. The debate of her being the greatest of all time is a ridiculous one. There have been so many great athletes in women's college basketball and women's sports with and without titles. You can say the same thing about men's sports.

While Lisa Bluder has done a fantastic job with the Iowa women's basketball program, her biggest accomplishment was recruiting Caitlin. Getting her to come to Iowa and letting Caitlin be Caitlin is the reason why the sports world and our pop culture can't get enough of women's basketball. Caitlin has essentially turned a decent Hawkeyes program into a great one. But she's gone above and beyond to help change the game of women's basketball. Something only the greatest athletes can do.

What Caitlin has done for women's basketball is the same thing that athletes like Michael Phelps, Tiger Woods, Serena Willams, Muhammad Ali, and many others did for their respective sports: make it relevant in American culture and give the sport mass appeal. That is greatness.

If you disagree with me about that, fine. What you can't disagree with is Caitlin's stats and awards. Want the list? Thank goodness ESPN keeps track. I typed it into this article, but my point would get lost. Seriously, take a look at her list of records and awards right here.

Caitlin Clark Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena

It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? It makes sense though. The most dominant player in women's college basketball who also broke men's records deserves an honor like this. She has more awards and records than you can shake a stick at.

If you're wondering, "Why would Iowa go that far? She didn't win a national championship." Neither did Pete Maravich and the arena where the LSU Tigers play basketball is called the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Kinnick Stadium is named after Nile Kinnick, the only Heisman Trophy winner in Iowa football history. He didn't win a national title.

READ MORE: From All Of Us In Iowa, Thank You Caitlin Clark

It took way too long for the University of Iowa to give the great Duke Slater the proper recognition he deserved. In 2021, Iowa announced that the football field would be named Duke Slater Field at Kinnick Stadium. Slater, who grew up in Clinton, became the first Black player inducted into the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame. He also was a part of the 1921 Iowa national championship team and became the first black lineman in the NFL.

Unlike Duke, the University of Iowa shouldn't wait almost 100 years to give a huge recognition like this to a great player.

In all reality, if this were to happen it probably wouldn't be named Caitlin Clark Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena until she's done playing in the pros. In the meantime, we can call it Caitlin Clark Court amongst the fans.

I mean, her name is already on the court.

Caitlin, good luck in your future. You have a bunch of Hawkeyes forever cheering you on. Go Hawks.