Caitlin Clark, Gabbie Marshall, and Kate Martin meet the media

The Iowa Hawkeyes will face Colorado for the second straight year in a Sweet 16 contest. Three players who faced them last year met with the media in Albany, NY to discuss the match-up against the Buffs. Read and watch what Caitlin Clark, Gabbie Marshall, and Kate Martin had to say about the game and other topics.

Q. Caitlin, when you’re playing in a new venue like this, like Albany for the first time, what does it mean to you to play in front of people who have never seen you play in person, including young girls?

CAITLIN CLARK: Yeah, that’s something we were talking about. We love playing in front of our home crowd, and it’s been really special all year long to play in front of 15,000 people every single game.

But when you get to go on the road, it kind of takes you back to see how many Iowa fans there are across the country, and that’s kind of been the biggest thing for us all year. No matter where we’ve been able to go, whether it was on the East Coast, whether it was Nebraska, anywhere, we had great crowds.

And I think we’re going to see the same thing here this weekend, so I think it’s just special. It’s not anything you ever take for granted, and it definitely helps. It adds a little motivation, adds a little boost, and they rally around you whether you’re on offense or defense. It’s super special.

Q. Caitlin, can you talk about the growth of women’s basketball from when you were a freshman and playing in front of cardboard cutouts to now? And Gabbie and Kate, I’m guessing you’ve seen her in commercials. What’s the opinion when you’ve seen her on a State Farm or Gatorade or any other commercial?

CAITLIN CLARK: Yeah, it’s been cool to see the evolution of crowds since my first year here. Obviously playing in Carver in front of just cardboard cutouts and our family, and then going down to the bubble and really playing in front of no one.

I think there was limited fans when we got to the Sweet 16 and played inside of the Alamodome. And then the next two years got crazier and crazier, and obviously this year has really taken off and it’s really hard to get a ticket to one of our games.

I don’t think it’s ever something you take for granted. I hope it’s going to keep growing across the board, especially when I’m done playing here in college. You’re not just seeing it with Iowa, you’re seeing it all across the country. It’s hard to get in the doors to women’s basketball games, and that’s exactly how it should be.

That’s how it should have been for a really long time. The game is great. There’s so many stars in our game. There’s a lot of young talent. People playing the game the right way. I think that’s what attracts people to come and watch. They play with passion, and they play with emotion, they’re fiery, they can score the basketball, they play good defense, and games are close.

The parity is getting better and better in women’s basketball, and people love that.

GABBIE MARSHALL: I like seeing her in the commercials. I like when she has her makeup all done and her hair all done. Sometimes it plays like 10 times in a row when you’re watching a game, but I like seeing her.

KATE MARTIN: Me and Caitlin are roommates and we were sitting in the hotel last night and the State Farm ad pops up and we just look at each other and started laughing.

I just think it’s really cool. I don’t know, it just brings more awareness to women’s basketball and it brings more awareness to not only her, but our entire team and Iowa, so I think it’s awesome.

Q. Regardless of reaching your goals this year, you’re going to be in a position where you’re dwindling to the last few games. I’m wondering how each of you take a moment, if you do take a moment, to kind of take it all in prior to each of these?

CAITLIN CLARK: Yeah, I would say for myself, like the moment that I take everything in is like I just take a deep breath before the National Anthem and kind of soak in the environment and the crowd, and then you get competitive for 40 minutes and enjoy that, and then when I walk off the court I try to take as much time as possible to sign as many autographs or whatever and kind of soak in the environment and enjoy that, because you don’t really know how many games you have left at this point.

We just had a practice, we play tomorrow, and that’s really all you’re guaranteed. You’re trying to go out there and win and fight for another day, and I think for all three of us like we don’t want this to end. We love coming to practice. We love playing games with each other. You want to soak it in and keep extending it out.

GABBIE MARSHALL: Yeah, just to piggyback on that, you obviously want to play as long as you can, but I’ll look at them sometimes and just be like, wow, this is almost over.

But think about all the memories that we’ve made together on and off the court. I think that’s the most important thing. That’s what we’ll remember forever, is just the people that we’ve been around, the coaches, the other players, and just what we’ve been able to do together.

KATE MARTIN: Yeah, I just want to echo what they’ve said, but also I think that’s what makes March Madness so fun, is when you have seniors that feel like they have nothing to lose. That’s when you see buzzer beaters and game winners and things like that and that’s why it’s so fun.

And we obviously have five seniors on our team, so we want to extend our time as long as possible because we do have a lot of fun playing and we love each other. Really I take my moments to soak it all in right before tip. I kind of look around to see how many people are there and just like, wow, I can’t believe I’m in this position, and I feel extremely grateful.

Q. Caitlin, we were able to go to a local practice with an AAU team, middle school aged girls here in Albany, and almost all of them were wearing Iowa 22 Caitlin Clark shirts or jerseys. What does that mean to you to be able to provide a role model for especially young girls to be able to identify with across the country?

CAITLIN CLARK: Yeah, I think that’s the best part about what I get to do. I grew up having those role models and aspiring to be where I am today. It’s super special to see your impact not only in the state of Iowa but across the country.

And I think that’s been the biggest thing for us this year is it hasn’t only been in Iowa. Obviously Iowa has supported us through and through, but no matter where we go there’s so many people supporting us and wanting us to succeed.

To be able to have that impact on the next generation is really special, and you just hope to dream and aspire to be like you one day and chase after all their dreams.

Q. Your coach was just in here talking about how competitive Caitlin is at practice and sometimes she has to issue her technical fouls. Can you give examples of that competitiveness —

CAITLIN CLARK: That hasn’t happened in a while.

Q. She also mentioned how loose Caitlin is in the locker room and how playful she is, too.

GABBIE MARSHALL: Yeah, I think it’s good that she has that balance. Obviously when she steps on the court she’s going to show the passion and just the fiery attitude that she has just because she loves the game so much. She wants to win. She hates losing.

So that’s where that comes into play.

The technicals and just — I don’t know, our managers are our refs at practice, so that can kind of get out of hand sometimes —

CAITLIN CLARK: They’re horrible at reffing.

GABBIE MARSHALL: She’s so goofy and fun and loving in the locker room and just off the court. I think it’s good that she has that balance.

KATE MARTIN: Yeah, I agree with everything Gabbie said. I can understand her frustration because our managers are not good refs at all.

But yeah, it’s fun. And Coach Bluder, I think it’s just a good coaching tactic. Like she would do that to me. I’ve gotten a technical, as well, so she’s not alone.

But it just puts us in check and she’s just holding us accountable, because you can’t do that in games and you will get a technical and put your team in a bad position.

But it’s fun whenever we can all go into the locker room if you get into like a competitive little tiff or whatever, and then in the locker room you’re just fun and loving right away again.

So we can have that balance and know that we love each other at the end of the day. It doesn’t really matter what happens out on the court.

Q. Lisa was talking about confidence, and she mentioned the other night about Hannah needing to be more aggressive, and you’ve talked a couple of times this season about how special she’s going to be, how good of a player she can be. How important is that for you to say those things and for you to have those conversations with her in order to build up her confidence and be the player that you know she can be?

CAITLIN CLARK: Yeah, I think that’s the biggest thing with Hannah, is just going up to her and giving her those words of affirmation and telling her how much we belive in her. Whether it’s me, whether it’s them two, whether it’s her other post players that she works with every single day, I think that’s the biggest thing for all of them is just knowing that their point guard believes in them and knows that they can rise to the occasion.

We’ve all Hannah can do. She put up 47 points. She can absolutely dominate. In my opinion she runs the floor better than anybody in the country.

But I think that is the biggest thing, is like saying that right to her face and she knows how much I believe in her and how much the rest of the team believes in her, because when she’s playing her best basketball it adds a whole ‘nother dimension to our team.

But yeah, I think that’s been the thing for us all year, is just continue to build her up, continue to build our posts up, because they kind of had to play behind the shadow of Monika but they aren’t Monika. They can do a lot of things that Monika couldn’t, and they don’t need to be Monika.

That’s not what we’ve needed all year, and they’ve done a really tremendous job of rising to the occasion. I think Hannah specifically has done just that and improved her game in so many areas.

Q. Caitlin, I know your focus is on this, but there’s been some off-court things with the Ice Cube offer with the Big 3, and then with the invitation — which I know you probably hope that invitation doesn’t happen because you want to be with your team in Cleveland — but I wondered just your thoughts on those things that are happening a little bit off court. I know like I said your focus is on this, but there’s been a lot of chatter about those things.

CAITLIN CLARK: Yeah, to be honest, I found about the Big 3 thing at the exact time you all did, and my main focus is just on playing basketball. I think that’s the biggest thing.

Like you said, USA Basketball is my — that’s your dream. You always want to grow up and be on the Olympic team, but lucky for me, I have the opportunity of possibly not doing that because I want to be at the Final Four playing basketball with my team.

But if not, that’s where I’ll be. People that are on that roster are people that I idolize and have idolized growing up. Just to be extended a camp invite is something you have to be proud of and celebrate and enjoy.

But more than anything, my focus is on winning these two games, and that’s exactly how it should be. I honestly don’t talk about those things with really anybody. I have other people that deal with it, and they haven’t said a word to me about it.

My main focus is on this team and helping us find a way to beat Colorado and hopefully win another one after that.

Q. Caitlin, none of us here can imagine what you’re going through and just the fanfare of all of this. There has to be some downsides to that, as well. I think of the interaction that everybody saw with you and your dad last week. That would have never happened if it wasn’t you. What are some of the downsides? What’s the toughest part of this for you?

CAITLIN CLARK: Well, I think the first thing is I was never talking to my dad. I don’t know why people thought that. My dad is my biggest supporter. He’s literal by best friend and he was my first-ever basketball coach and somebody that has always been there.

People probably think my dad is super competitive because I am, but he’s never been that way. He’s like a chill, constant person in my life that I can always rely on.

I think it’s kind of been the same story for me over the course of the two years. It’s like I know people are always watching. I know eyeballs are always on me. That is kind of what happens when you are in the spotlight.

And it’s anything you shy away from. I’m competitive. I’m fiery. That’s how it is. And I think that’s what has brought me a lot of success.

I think at the same time it’s being able to channel that and use it in the best way, and yeah, I mean, my dad is literally one of my biggest supporters, and he honestly hasn’t missed one single college basketball game of mine, and for that I’m forever thankful.

Yeah, I think our team has always talked about it. There’s always people watching. There’s always young girls with eyeballs on you, so you always want to always be on your best behavior, but also play with that competitive fire and passion that you always had that has brought our team so much success, and I think that’s exactly what we do.

Q. Gabbie, my question is Caitlin along with JuJu and Dyaisha are players that have brought us back to women’s basketball history. How have the performances from this season in particular changed your knowledge of and your perspective of women’s basketball, and then for Caitlin, being one of those players, how has the interactions with some of those legends of the game impacted or maybe given you a thought of how you would like to approach the next person to reach a record?

GABBIE MARSHALL: Yeah, I think there’s so much talent in women’s basketball right now, and what they’ve been able to do on the court day in and day out, it’s attracting more people to come want to watch, fill the stands. We saw that at Carver.

She’s doing that on a daily basis, which is crazy to think about because you don’t see that all the time. But like she said, there’s so much young talent, as well, and I think it’s just growing and growing.

Who wouldn’t want to watch? It’s so much fun. We play with so much joy. We’re starting to see more passion from women. It’s just going to continue to grow, and there’s going to be more people, more eyes on us, and more people who want to fill the stands and come see us play.

CAITLIN CLARK: I think for myself it’s been really cool, I think specifically Lynette Woodard was able to come to our Senior Night and be in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Somebody that maybe wasn’t always given all her flowers, but was really like a pioneer in our game and did so much for our game.

To be able to share that with her was really special. And as I’ve been able to break whatever record it is, it’s been cool to have people that I’ve idolized and who I’ve aspired to be in my life reach out and congratulate me.

Like you said, I hope I get to do that for the next person. Somebody is going to come along and break my records, and that’s exactly how it should be. That’s kind of the point of a record. Other people chase them down and break them.

And also, our game is evolving so much and there’s so much talent, there’s so much parity. That’s why people want to watch. That’s why people want to tune in.

I think I’m just forever grateful, and the next person that comes along to break mine, I’ll be right there supporting them, and hopefully I can see it in person.

Q. Caitlin, as the face of women’s college basketball, I was wondering who else in women’s college basketball would you pay to go see play, and is there a player or two flying under the radar that you think should get more flowers currently playing?

CAITLIN CLARK: There would be so many I would pay to go see. I would say JuJu right now probably. That is who pay and go see. But also Hannah Hidalgo at Notre Dame. I think she’s been tremendous. I think Hannah has kind of flown under the radar a little bit.

There’s so many good players. Madison Booker. There’s just so much young talent, and I think that’s the coolest part of the game is where the game is going, how much young talent there is, but also they can’t be one-and-dones. They get to stay and play this game for four years.

How exciting is that for women’s basketball fans, to know our game is in really great hands and the talent level across the board for maybe even teams that maybe haven’t consistently been in the Final Four. The parity is amazing, and I think that’s what’s going to help viewership numbers grow, too.

I love women’s basketball. I’ll pay any price to get in the door and watch talent across the board. That’s what makes the game so fun, and that’s what people do for our team. I would totally repay the favor.

Q. First off, this is a time you year you want to be playing your best. What do you take from the last three games which have all been a little bit of a struggle, and also how this tournament run and the season as a whole has been different versus the past couple years?

KATE MARTIN: Yeah, I mean, we’re excited for our future. We look back at our previous games in the previous year just to learn for what’s to come.

But West Virginia posed its own problems in its own way, but they’re a really good defensive team, and I think the pressure and what they did to us is definitely going to help us in the future.

Colorado is a really good team, and they’ve got a really good inside presence while they’ve got shooters surrounding No. 21 down there.

We’re just really excited for what’s to come. The season has been really cool with all the spotlight and everything. I think it’s just you have to be in this position to grow the game, and with all the attention Caitlin gets, it shines a light on all of us. Like I said earlier, shines a light on every single one of them and Iowa as a program.

While it’s been a little different with cameras literally everywhere all the time, it’s also really cool at the same time. We’ve been enjoying it, and as the season is dwindling down, we’re just trying to enjoy all these last moments together and have a lot of fun playing basketball together.

GABBIE MARSHALL: Yeah, I would say, too, this year compared to other years, we’ve had more people pack opposing arenas, as well. So the attention that she’s bringing in and the attention that we get in opposing arenas is amazing.

We’re seeing Hawk fans no matter where we go. We could go across the country. We saw Hawk fans at Rutgers, which is not an easy flight.

I think that’s kind of where it’s gone this year for us when we’ve been playing not only at home but in away arenas, as well. And like Kate said, we’re just trying to play as long as we can and just enjoy every moment that we have with each other on and off the court.

CAITLIN CLARK: I would say the course — you mentioned the last three games. I think the biggest thing for us is I don’t feel like any of those three were complete games, but I feel like that also is — to me that’s a positive. We found ways to win all three of those.

To me Nebraska was playing the best basketball in the Big Ten Tournament. They were playing great basketball. Jaz Shelley was playing tremendous. Markowski was playing great. Potts was playing great. They really gave us everything we could handle, and we weathered the storm and we still found a way to win.

The same with West Virginia. Really our offense wasn’t clicking in the way that it should, and we still found ways to win and we played great defense.

To me, I don’t see that as a negative. I see that as a positive. I see that as Iowa doesn’t have to rely on scoring 90 points a game to win every single game. We can find other ways to win.

It’s okay if we have a bad half. Not everything is going to be perfect. It’s going to be okay if we have a bad quarter. So I think it’s just looking at everything in a positive light.

Yeah, there was a million ways we could have got better from those three games, but at the same time, to me, that just shows the growth of our team and the growth of our program over the course of the last years. Be gritty, be resilient and find ways to win, and that’s all that really matters when you’re playing an NCAA Tournament.