Iowa honors Caitlin Clark with touching tribute video of fans acknowledging her 'immeasurable impact'

With Caitlin Clark getting her jersey retired at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday, fans put together a touching video tribute of the impact that she had on them personally during her time at Iowa.

Sometimes it can be hard to measure just how much an athlete or public figure has made a difference from sheer attendance numbers and records broken alone. But hearing stories like the ones Hawkeye fans shared puts a face to those numbers and offers an incredible perspective of the countless people who were inspired in one way or another.

You can watch the tribute for yourself below and try your best not to tear up.

Immeasurable Impact 🖤@CaitlinClark22 x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/GLTlNKF2xC

— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) February 2, 2025

Fans from all over the world sent in videos to make the compilation. One woman explained that she had followed Clark all the way from Brazil, and another woman from Africa said that she had never watched a game of basketball but became a fan of the game because of Clark.

Perhaps no story pulled at the heart strings more than the one that began around the three-minute mark of the video. A woman and her son are standing together holding an autographed photo of Clark standing next to a young boy in a stroller.

She went on to explain that they got the picture signed during the game against Michigan on Feb. 15 last year when Clark broke the NCAA’s all-time scoring record and why it held such a special significance.

“In March of 2022, Caitlin took this picture with our youngest son Cade,” the woman said. “Sadly, in November of 2023, Cade passed away in the children’s hospital. Later that season when Caitlin broke the scoring record, his older brother Chase decided to take this photo with him to the game and was lucky enough to get it signed. Thank you, Caitlin, for that incredible night. Not only the scoring record, but also letting us know that Cade was with us at that game and for our favorite piece of sports memorabilia.”

Stories like this one were a common theme throughout the video. One man explained that watching Clark helped bring him closer together with his mother before she passed away from cancer.

Another little girl stood wearing a Hawkeyes football jersey that said “Kid Captain” on the back. She said that watching Clark helped her get through her cancer treatment before adding “Say hi to Taylor Swift for me!”

It went on and on like this, as it was clear that the younger generation of fans was the one most inspired by Caitlin Clark. One girl even began her video by declaring that she wanted to be the next Iowa player to have her jersey retired.

And who knows? Maybe several years down the road that girl’s dream will come true, and Clark can say she played a part in the beginning of that story. Now that’s impact.