Caitlin Clark made sure Iowa showed up in style for the start of the 2026-27 season.
While she’s in the middle of her WNBA offseason, the Hawkeyes legend still found time to send her former program a special gift: her new Caitlin Clark 1 shoes in an Iowa-inspired yellow-and-black colorway. The delivery arrived just in time for Iowa’s first game of the new college basketball season.
The school shared the moment on November 2, showing off another package from Clark ahead of Game 1. It was a fitting touch for a program that has become one of the biggest names in women’s college basketball in recent years, with Clark now giving back to the place that helped launch her into stardom.
Her first signature shoe with Nike has already made plenty of noise, and the rollout has included several eye-catching releases. Clark recently unveiled a Halloween-themed “Jinx” colorway as well, complete with a glow-in-the-dark element.
Iowa’s players had reason to be excited about the fresh pair of kicks, and they backed that energy up on the floor later Monday with a 73-45 home win over Towson. Dani Carnegie led the Hawkeyes with 21 points and five assists.
The Hawkeyes entered the season ranked 10th in the county in a field that includes heavyweights like South Carolina and UConn.
Clark is also spending part of this week on a press tour for her new children’s book, with appearances lined up on some of the biggest shows in America.
In Other News...
Iowa State's Bowl Push Comes Down To A Defining Final Stretch
Iowa States path to a bowl berth is now down to the kind of stretch that tends to define a season. At 4-4, the Cyclones have banked wins over Southeast Missouri State, Bowling Green, West Virginia and Oklahoma State, while the losses have come against ranked opponents, leaving them in position but not yet secure as the calendar turns toward the finish line.
The final four games will decide whether this group gets back to postseason play, with Baylor, Cincinnati, UCF and Kansas State still ahead. ESPN analytics give Iowa State varying chances in those matchups, but the math is simple enough for the Cyclones: they need two more wins to become bowl eligible, and every one of these remaining Saturdays now carries real weight. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Just Faced A Bigger Problem Than One Opening Loss
Iowa States season opened with more than a frustrating 80-76 loss to Memphis at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls. The Cyclones were beaten in the areas that usually travel best for a T.J. Otzelberger team, with Memphis getting the edge in steals, free throws and three-point shooting, leaving Iowa State to sort through the kind of early-game issues that can linger if they are not corrected quickly.
Otzelberger pointed to the need for more defensive pride and commitment moving forward, a message that carries extra weight after a game like this. For a team that expects to defend at a high level and control the terms of play, the opener was a reminder that the bigger concern is not just the loss itself, but whether the response shows up fast enough. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa States New Transfer Could Force A Tough Minutes Battle
Iowa State added a proven perimeter piece in Mya Babbitt, a 5-8 guard who arrives after three seasons at Kent State and brings a track record of stretching the floor. Her sophomore year stood out in particular, when she set a program record with 83 made three-pointers and shot 41.5% from beyond the arc, the kind of production that can change how defenses have to guard a lineup.
For the Cyclones, the appeal goes beyond the shooting. Babbitt is expected to help as both a perimeter threat and a defensive presence, which gives the staff another useful option when the game calls for spacing or extra pressure on the ball. The bigger question is how often she gets on the floor, since her role figures to shift depending on matchups and game flow, creating a deeper competition for minutes on a roster that already has plenty of moving parts. [Read more 🡒]