"Do not hang your heads": Lisa Bluder consoles Iowa squad by giving hope for 2024 season as Caitlin Clark & Co. leave for WNBA

Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball coach Lisa Bluder consoled the entire Iowa squad as Caitlin Clark & Co. ready to leave for the WNBA after Iowa finished as national runner-up two years in a row.

After their NCAA championship loss to the undefeated South Carolina (39-0), Bluder said:

“Saying goodbye to your seniors is really tough. Every time you see a season end, it's another chapter closed, and that's tough."

“But I know we're going to look back on this and be very proud of the effort we gave this year.” [Timestamp - 0:38]

In the dressing room of the Hawkeyes, who finished the season 34-6, the emotions were different. The coach consoled the squad, saying:

“Do not hang your heads, do not. Yes, we're sad that the seniors are leaving us. It's tough, that's the tough part about this.”

With the departure of seniors like Kate Martin, Gabbie Marshall, Sharon Goodman and Caitlin Clark for the WNBA draft, Bluder gave some words of encouragement.

“But we got to do this together,” Bluder said. “We got to have this journey together; nobody's everything that way.”

This season, the Hawkeyes were responsible for sold-out home games and even filled arenas at away games.

“Do not hang your heads, celebrate the fact that we were here, celebrate that we got to do this together ... Please, because that's what's important,” coach Bluder added.

Defeat in the 2024 national championship could not dim Iowa star Caitlin Clark's spirit

After suffering defeat in the 2024 national championship, Iowa standout Caitlin Clark didn't let her spirits falter.

"Nothing was ever given,” Clark said. “I was in the gym all the time. I matured a lot mentally and physically. People believed in me, people pushed me, people held me accountable. And those are the things that I'm thankful for and that's why I'm here right now."

Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes speaks with the media.

Clark, anticipated to be the WNBA’s top draft pick later this year, boasts season averages of 31.7 points per game and nine assists. Meanwhile, ESPN color analyst Rebecca Lobo told to The Post earlier this month:

“There were a lot of great players on the floor out there — she was just like a queen among women."

Clark announced her departure from the Iowa Hawkeyes on Feb. 29, marking the end of an era.

Will Caitlin Clark dominate the WNBA after her impressive college career? Let us know in the comments section!