Hawkeye fans pack arena to cheer on Caitlin Clark and Iowa women's basketball team in NCAA Tournament

University of Iowa alumnus Kelly Malone arrived at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Friday dressed head to toe in Hawkeye gear.

Her pride for her alma mater and excitement for its women's basketball team were revealed in her Hawkeye sweatshirt, black-and-gold earrings, and even a hat with a Tigerhawk that flashed multi-colored lights.

Fans like Malone filled the sold-out arena for the first round of the NCAA Tournament, eager to be part of a growing bandwagon of support for one of the most dynamic teams in the country. Hours before tipoff, you could easily pick out the Hawkeye faithful.

They were the ones dressed in black and yellow. Ice cream cones in hand. Arms full of NCAA merchandise. 

Ready to cheer on the Hawkeyes against Illinois State.

The game was in progress when this edition of the Press-Citizen went to press. 

This was the first game Malone had attended in person in two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but she’s been a fan of the women’s team since the 1980s. She is very appreciative of the coaching staff.

“I think Lisa Bluder is an awesome person, and I want to support her,” Malone said of Iowa's head coach since 2000. 

Malone’s daughter, Abby, was thrilled to see the support for the women’s team. 

“I think it’s exciting that especially a women’s game is sold out like this because I remember coming when I was in high school and middle school, and there were open seats everywhere,” she said. 

More than 14,000 people were expected for Iowa’s first game in the tournament, the second consecutive sellout for the women’s basketball team and only the fourth in program history. 

The Hawkeyes have made history this winter not just by the success of the team, but also by the enthusiasm evident among their fans.

Iowa's previous home game, Feb. 27 against Michigan, resulted in the largest crowd at a Hawkeye women's game since 1988. A Jan. 31 Iowa home game against Ohio State averaged 164,000 viewers, making it the most-watched regular season women's basketball game in Big Ten Network history. 

Iowa City resident Diane Hougen was among the fans Friday who waited outside in the rain for doors to open at 11:30 a.m., one hour before tipoff of the opening game between Creighton and Colorado. She has held Hawkeye season tickets for about 12 years and has attended four Big Ten Conference women’s tournaments. Her daughter Beth drove from Madison, Wisconsin, to join her mother in a black-and-gold bonding experience. 

“I just really liked the coach, and I wanted to get tickets to support the coach,” Diane Hougen said of her earliest days as a Hawkeye fan. “And then we started going and we loved the whole experience.” 

Beth Hougen said she's traveled to watch many Hawkeye women's basketball games this season. She also attended the sold-out Michigan-Iowa game a few weeks ago. She loves seeing the players taking on their roles on the team, easily rattling them off. 

“When you get Kate Martin with such amazing field-goal percentages, and you’ve got (Caitlin) Clark hitting the buckets from the logo, and just to be here is going to be a blast,” she said. 

More:How lifelong Iowan Caitlin Clark grew into a must-watch basketball star

Clark, an all-American sophomore, is the star attraction. The Des Moines native leads the nation in points (27.4 per game), assists (7.9) and goosebumps raised (impossible to measure).

Cedar Rapids resident Bill Arautzer said she is his favorite player on the team because of her skillset and versatility. 

“You don’t know what she’s going to do,” Arautzer said. “I mean, she can shoot from half-court, and with her rebounding and assistance, she’s just a very unselfish person and part of a fun team to watch.” 

Greg Prather of Newton said he used to come to the women’s games as a child. For the past 10 years, he’s been a season ticket-holder, and he said he's only missed one or two games this season. He was most excited to witness the team’s enthusiasm and the atmosphere that creates in the arena. 

“They work together as a team. And, you know, they get the crowd going and hopefully like today, the crowd gets pumped and they will shoot a lot better than the men’s team did,” Prather said.

The Iowa men's team fell 67-63 against Richmond on Thursday in its opening-round NCAA Tournament game. 

Although Arautzer typically attends more men’s basketball and football games, he believes the women's team is the one destined to make it far in the postseason.

The Hawkeye women are a 2 seed, boasting a 23-7 record and a Big Ten championship. If they win Friday, they will play another home game Sunday, against either Creighton or Colorado. After that, Iowa could travel to Greensboro, North Carolina, for the Sweet 16. Two wins there would put the Hawkeyes in the Final Four in Minneapolis.

“Hopefully they can get past this weekend," Arautzer said, "and just give the state something to really look at.”