Lisa Bluder spent 24 years as the Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball coach from 2000 to 2024. She led Iowa to two Big Ten Championships in her first 19 seasons, but failed to make a big run in the NCAA Tournament. Then Caitlin Clark showed up.
When Clark played for Iowa under Bluder, the team saw a boost in success.
Not only did the Hawkeyes win three straight Big Ten titles from 2022-2024, but they made two consecutive Final Four appearances, something Bluder was unable to accomplish before Clark’s arrival.
Iowa made it all the way to the championship game in both semifinal appearances, but couldn’t get the job done.
Bluder and Clark built a strong relationship during their four years together. On Monday night, Bluder talked about her bond with Clark and compared her to WNBA legend Maya Moore.
Feb 15, 2024; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark (22) reacts with head coach Lisa Bluder after the game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena against the Michigan Wolverines. During the game Clark would break the NCAA women’s all-time scoring record.
© Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
“For her, Maya Moore was a huge role model growing up. So now she’s the Maya Moore of this generation. And she understands that. She understands how important that was to her.
To get that autograph after the game. To get that hug, to take that picture with,” Bluder said. (via CBS Sports)
Maya Moore only spent eight seasons in the WNBA with the Minnesota Lynx from 2011 to 2018.
She is a four-time WNBA champion and was the 2014 MVP. Moore also won two NCAAW Championships with the UConn Huskies. She was named to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024.
Bluder and Clark both ended their careers with Iowa after the 2023-24 season. Clark was taken No. 1 overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever, and Bluder started her retirement.
Caitlin Clark is widely considered the best college women’s basketball player of all time. She spent four seasons with the Iowa Hawkeyes and received nearly every accolade an NCAAW player could.
Before Clark’s college career, she was named a McDonald’s All-American in 2020. She went on to become a three-time first-team All-American and a two-time National Player of the Year. Clark also broke the NCAA record for most career points. The one achievement Clark was unable to reach was winning a national championship, losing the title game in 2023 and 2024.
On Monday night, Clark received her second CWSA Honda Cup award, which goes to the top student-athlete of the year. In her acceptance speech, Clark needed just one word to describe her Iowa career: “Tremendous.”
Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark (22) gives a thumbs up to the crowd after the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at MVP Arena, Saturday, March 30, 2024 in Albany, N.Y.
© Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK
“The four years go really fast, so to you that still have some time left in college, seriously enjoy it because I can’t believe my career is already over and I’ve already started my professional career. But, yeah, my time at Iowa was truly tremendous,” Clark said.
After her college career, Clark was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft. Her time with the Indiana Fever is just getting started, and she has already broken many league records.
