IOWA CITY, Iowa — Fans flocked to Carver-Hawkeye Arena in anticipation of Caitlin Clark breaking the NCAA women's career scoring record in the Hawkeyes' game against Michigan on Thursday evening.
Spoiler alert: she broke the record easily.
Hawkeye fans lined up for hours, sharing smiles and often sporting Caitlin Clark's #22 jersey. The Iowa-Michigan game was the hottest ticket in town, with everyone wanting the chance to witness history.
"This is actually the first women's game I'm going to this season," said Jet Etnyre, a University of Iowa freshman. "But I thought, for such a big milestone, might as well go all out. Be right there. Just something I'll remember forever."
When Clark broke the record, the crowd instantly went wild.
“The only way I can describe it was electric," said Kevin, a fan who traveled from San Diego. "This crowd is crazy, and like, the explosion and like, it’s such a crazy record to beat.”
But even outside of the arena, energy was high. Average ticket prices for the game were nearly $400 on top resale sites. For reference, the most expensive women's basketball average ticket price on a resale site is $150 for the 2022 WNBA All-Star game.
Fans spanned across generations. One fan, 7-year-old Ruby, came to watch the game with her mother.
"[Caitlin is] a really good influence, and she's a really good player," Ruby told Local 5.
Overall, Iowa Nice was on full display at Carver-Hawkeye.
"Everybody supports everybody in Iowa, and we’re here because these girls are awesome," said Ben, a Cedar Rapids native.