Caitlin Clark made another appearance at the Big Ten women’s basketball tournament on Thursday, supporting the Iowa women’s basketball team she led to three straight titles. But while her presence was a reminder of past glory, it was the officiating that stole the spotlight. As Iowa battled Michigan State, controversial calls left fans frustrated and Clark often showed her displeasure at the referee’s calls on both sides of the ball. If you could lip read from courtside you could see her talking to a Michigan State guard saying “You foul on every play” or later in the game saying more than once, “That’s a terrible call.”
The Hawkeyes took care of business with a 74-61 win, securing their 11th straight conference tournament victory. But the game’s defining moment wasn’t a clutch three or a fast-break dunk—it was the technical foul assessed to Iowa head coach Jan Jensen. Now 22-9 on the season, the Hawkeyes found themselves in an uphill fight, trailing 12-16 after the first quarter. But it wasn’t the slow start that had fans up in arms—it was the officiating.
The second quarter and the whistles kept coming after halftime. Just minutes into the third, the Hawkeyes were hit with three more, including a controversial technical on head coach Jan Jensen. That call sent fans over the edge.
One fan was having none of it. “Terrible officiating. Jan Jensen gets a technical foul. That’s pretty unbelievable.”
Jensen’s tech came with 7:10 left in the third, following a charge call on Hannah Stuelke that left the Iowa bench fuming. With the game already hanging in the balance, the decision felt like a gut punch—and the frustration only grew from there.
Clark’s presence at Hawkeye games has been a positive sign for Iowa this season. The last four she attended before Thursday night all ended in wins, including their 76-69 upset over top-5-ranked USC on Feb. 2, the night Iowa retired her No. 22 jersey. She was also courtside for the team’s dominant 81-54 win over Wisconsin recently and their 86-73 victory against Drake back in November.
