“Dynamic pair of Hawks”: Iowa fans reminisce as ex-college teammates Caitlin Clark and Kate Martin went head to head

Former Iowa teammates Caitlin Clark and Kate Martin are back on the court together, but this time for opposing teams. Clark's Indiana Fever and Martin's Golden State Valkyries matched up for the first time this season on Thursday.

Iowa women's basketball promoted the contest between the former Hawkeyes on Instagram on Thursday. The team shared a snap of the former teammates flexing their Big Ten Tournament championship rings and a picture of them celebrating together on the court in their Hawkeyes jerseys.

"From Iowa to the WNBA✨," part of the Instagram caption read.

Iowa fans reacted to the photos of the former Hawkeyes in the comments. Many hyped up the WNBA ballers.

"What a dynamic pair of Hawks," one fan wrote.

An Iowa fan shows love to Caitlin Clark and Kate Martin

"Faves!!💛🖤" another added.

An IG user calls Clark and Martin their favorites

"Love our Hawkeyes!🖤💛🖤💛" another added.

A comment shows love to Clark and Martin

One Hawkeyes fan expressed excitement about Clark and Martin's reunion.

"The reunion we all look forward to!!!😍" one fan posted.

An IG user looks forward to Clark and Martin’s reunion

Others discussed the photos Iowa women's basketball posted.

"Ok this is adorbs," one fan commented.

"Great pic🙌," another said.

Iowa fans react to photos of Clark and Martin

"I love the emotions in these photos," one fan posted.

An IG user talks about the emotion in the photos shared of Clark and Martin

Caitlin Clark struggles as Fever falls to Kate Martin's Valkyries

Caitlin Clark's reunion with former Iowa teammate Kate Martin served as a low point in the WNBA star's season thus far. Clark shot 3-of-14 in Thursday's game. The guard missed all seven of her 3-pointers and tied her season-low scoring with 11 points.

Clark made up for her shooting woes with seven rebounds and nine assists, both above her season averages, but it wasn't enough to lift the Fever to victory. Indiana fell to Golden State 88-77.

WNBA: Indiana Fever at Golden State Valkyries - Source: Imagn

Martin, on the other hand, had a standout performance against her former Hawkeyes teammate. She contributed nine points, five rebounds, one assist and one steal, all above her season averages. The guard shot 57.1%, a significant improvement from her 36.4% shooting on the season.

Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports and a known Clark fan, made his feelings about the former Iowa teammates' performances clear in a post on X.

"Caitlin had terrible game. Happy for Kate Martin though," Portnoy said. "Also Golden State is 1st crowd I’ve seen that was a true home crowd that was there for their team and not for Caitlin. Good for WNBA."

Clark and Martin faced off on the professional stage, and while Martin was a valuable piece of the Valkyries' victory, Clark came up short of her usual performance.

About the author

Lindsey Ware is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over five years of experience working with publications such as The News & Observer, The Daily Tar Heel, Triangle Tribune and Cardiac Cane. She has also worked for Major League Baseball, The Holly Springs Salamanders, The Tri-City Chili Peppers, Tuffy Talk, Super Meteors Basketball, Just Good Network and Living Sport.

Lindsey has a Bachelor’s Degree in Media and Journalism from UNC Chapel Hill. Her education allowed Lindsey to gain experience in sports communication, which she honed in internships. Other than being a storyteller and sports fanatic, Lindsey is also a social media and marketing specialist.

Her favorite college team is UNC, although she grew up a N.C. State fan as both of her parents are Wolfpack alumni. Michael Jordan was a huge deal in North Carolina when Lindsey was growing up, and after a summer spent at UNC’s Sports Journalism Camp back in high school, Lindsey was set on being a Tar Heel.

Lindsey's favorite college coach of all time is Roy Williams. During her time attending UNC Chapel Hill and writing for The Daily Tar Heel, Lindsey was lucky enough to meet and speak with Williams a few times. He was like a celebrity on UNC’s campus and was beloved for his coaching style and success with the Tar Heels, accumulating three NCAA championship titles in 18 years.

When not watching or writing about sports, Lindsey enjoys reading, trying new restaurants and coffee shops, and spending time with my friends, family and dog. She also likes to journal, watch movies and paint.

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Edited by Krutik Jain