Sunday, April 7. 12:06 p.m. EDT
The sun is out and it's a beautiful day to be in Cleveland. That is made evident by the number of Iowa fans roaming the streets.
My first stop after parking my car this morning was at the House of Blues, which Hawkeye fans absolutely took over. By 10 a.m. beers, White Claws, etc. were being passed back and forth as people prepared to cheer the women on to a championship.
As I walked back to the arena, I stopped to grab a few T-shirts for people. They came in at $40, which is more than Raygun will charge you for a shirt, but it didn't seem astronomical to me. As I was walking away I took a look up at the concession prices. Now that ... was astronomical.
A bottle of water alone will set you back $4.75 or you could splurge on a beer and pretzel for $19. A domestic beer by itself is $11.75 or for a dollar more you can get it served in a souvenir cup.
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Hot dogs are $7.25, popcorn $5.25, or $12 if you want the souvenir bucket and $6.50 for a soda or $3 more for a souvenir cup.
"Those cups must be made of gold," echoed in my head, a comment my dad would have made seeing these.
But concessions and shirts aside, the tickets for the championship game were in the nosebleeds. I jumped on SeatGeek and found a pair in the very last row of section 215 for $335 a piece. Or you could jump over to section 217 and sit five rows from the top for $351, which the website called a "great deal."
The most expensive seats I could find were about three rows off the floor and were going for $2,079 a piece. There were only two left.
By comparison, tickets for the men's Final Four on Monday ranged from $143 for the nosebleeds to $3,499 to sit next to the media section. There were dozens of tickets left.
Outside the arena the tournament set up an area it dubbed "tourney town." Booths with Powerade, basketball hoops, merch and food were set up everywhere. Navigating wasn't easy, as a sea of Iowa fans were everywhere you turned.
Among the crowd, the number 22 stood out the most. It was on T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, painted on faces.
The Hawkeye pride was out in full force. And you can't put a price on that.
Saturday, April 6. 3:44 p.m. EDT
The afternoon was taken up by press conferences featuring the Hawkeyes. I was planning to hit a few, but ended up listening in on Cailtin Clark's before sticking around for Coach Lisa Bluder's.
Most of the questions for Clark were much of the same: what have you learned during your career, how do you feel about tomorrow being the end, how do you measure success.
On Sunday the Hawkeyes will play for the championship and five team members, Clark included, will play their final game of college ball.
That was really the theme of Saturday afternoon, with reporters pointing out that Clark and Kate Martin will play their final game, Clark's 139th, against the Gamecocks Sunday afternoon. Clark said that number seemed hard to understand, and she couldn't imagine how many games Martin played adding, "she's old," which earned a laugh.
"If you don't have Kate Martin, you're not in the position," she finally concluded.
Bluder couldn't agree more.
“Kate Martin’s legacy will go down as one of the best leaders ever," she said. “She’s going to be an unbelievable coach.”
The sentiment from Clark showed a maturity that Bluder has been trying to stress for months now. Clark admitted at the top of her press conference that she used to measure success by perfection. Now she measures it by how how much she has evolved.
With Sunday being the last time Clark and Bluder are together at the college level, Bluder reflected on the lasts, too, joking that perhaps Clark did not have to leave after all.
"Can she still change her mind? Is that still possible?" she asked with a smile, commenting on Clark's decision to enter the WNBA draft.
Among the seniors leaving are Molly Davis who has missed the entirety of the post-season due to an injury. Bluder said she had high hopes to get Davis back in action this weekend, but it doesn't seem possible.
“I know how much it’s hurting her and I would love to get her on the floor tomorrow even for a couple seconds," she said.
Following the conferences with the media, the Hawkeyes took to the locker room to suit up for practice. The second they walked on the floor Rocket Mortgage Arena erupted. ESPN reported 19,000 tickets were accounted for. A tall order, considering the arena seats 19,432.
The decision to open practices to the public for the first time ever seemed like a good one.
As the women warmed up and practiced shooting drills, calls from the stands came raining down, begging Clark, Gabby Marshall, Martin — anybody on the Hawkeye team to turn their way and wave.
I thought about that the entire time I sat there, reflecting on all the lasts. Win or lose, Sunday ends college careers for many talented women on the Hawkeye team. But it's not the end of an era. Not by a long shot.
If the thousands of screaming young girls with posters and pigtails and hearts full of dreams are any indication, this is just the beginning of the new era of basketball.
Saturday, April 6. 11:39 a.m. EDT
I woke up today feeling extra sore in my legs. I had a long day yesterday due to the fatigue I expected, not so much the soreness.
A quick look at the fitness app on my phone gave me a clue as to what was wrong: I walked nearly 8 miles all around the city of Cleveland on Friday. I powered through my aches and got ready to head downtown to what I assumed would be a calmer day.
And so far, it has been.
With this being my first time at something of this magnitude, I admittedly have no clue what I'm doing. But I'm having a blast. At about 10 a.m. people started hustling to the main floor of the Rocket Mortgage Arena to listen in on South Carolina's press conferences and I followed.
We got off the elevator and turned a few corners where a big stage was set up with a table for Te-Hina Paopao, the 5-foot-9 guard from South Carolina. I listened to the first few minutes of her conference with my interest not being so much about her answers, but what she was being asked.
During the first 10 minutes, the only questions were about her teammates: How did they get along, had they matured, what did she like about them. Many questions centered around Kamilla Cordoso, the 6-foot-7 center from Brazil.
Paopao handled the questions with ease, calling Cordoso "our beautiful, resilient girl." It struck me in that moment how the unspoken "girl code" of always having another woman's back, stands true no matter where you are.
Following her conference I walked down the hallways to where a series of screens were set up with four players at assorted desks. It was mass chaos. A reporter standing next to me in the mob said it more clearly.
"This is bonkers."
He was right. Media huddled around cameras were shoulder to shoulder, trying to squeeze in to get a photo, a video, a comment from the players.
Again, I listened to the questions and they centered around how they felt about their teammates. Each player gave a glowing review and talked about them as if they were their own personal heros.
That sentiment stayed with me during South Carolina coach Dawn Staley's press conference where she talked about former and current players, discussing what they need to do to secure another win on Sunday. She mentioned that off the court, there's a whole new staff of female sports analysts, something new to the game.
It's a sign things aren't just changing, they already have.
"Somebody chose that group of women to uplift our game and they're doing a magnificent job," she said.
The entire time, Staley was calm, cool and collected. Public speaking is not my thing, I would have been a mess.
But she handled it with ease. Eventually, the conversation shifted to Caitlin Clark and how she felt about that legacy, the legacy of winning. The common theme among sports enthusiasts is you are not the GOAT (greatest of all time) unless you've won a championship.
"I was really good in college but I never won a championship," she said, sharing her opinion on what it would take for Clark to secure GOAT status.
Clark is an incredible talent, she agreed, and she has what it takes to secure the deal.
"But I hope to the dear Lord she doesn't," Staley said as the room erupted in laughter.
Friday, April 5. 11:45 p.m. EDT
No part of that game was easy and my only part in it was watching from afar. The game started off strong with an easy bucket from Caitlin Clark and was quickly answered by UConn.
To end the first quarter, the Hawkeyes trailed 19-14 with Hannah Stuelke being the leading scorer for Iowa with six points. By the half, UConn managed to stretch its lead to six, leaving many of us to worry about what would happen next.
I took the time to rush off and find a Bettendorf grade schooler to interview, dodging in between basketball lovers and trying to keep my eyes peeled for celebrities. Apparently, just like the Hawkeyes in the first half, I didn't dodge fast enough.
Seconds after I arrived at section 213, I learned Sue Bird just walked by. If you've read my column on what Lisa Leslie meant to me you'll understand why this hurt so bad.
After the interview I rushed back to my seat in section 104, quickly opening my laptop to keep Twitter updated with the latest. As if people weren't glued to the TV — and, the second half showed, they should have been.
The Hawkeyes came out strong and Clark finally hit her first 3-pointer of the night. But again, UConn retaliated. With just more than three minutes on the clock, the game was tied at 45.
The entire night, but noticeable here, my phone was lit up with incoming texts and messages from friends and family saying how excited it must have been to be in the room. Now don't get me wrong: I would have walked to Cleveland if I had no other option. There was no way I was going to miss this.
But what I didn't take into account was having to remain a professional in public while I watched both teams match each other point for point. Heading into the fourth quarter it was tied up at 51.
I was ready to lose my mind.
And so was the crowd.
With 9.8 seconds left the Hawkeyes gained possession of the ball and the entire arena was on its feet. Within seconds the Hawkeyes lost and regained the ball, squeaking out a 71-69 victory to head to back-to-back championship games.
The chants of "let's go Hawks" drowned the entire stadium. Other media members rushed down the stairs to the post-game press conferences, but I took my time. I sat and watched who was left, what they were doing and saying.
This visit to the national championship may be a repeat for Iowa, but it's a first for me. As I wrap this up, it's midnight in Cleveland. Common sense tells me to go home and sleep, considering I'll be back here in a matter of hours.
But if the commotion in the hallway is any indication, the night is only beginning.
Heading into the fourth quarter Clark is 2-9 at the three-point line.
— Gretchen Teske (@peskyteske) April 6, 2024
Game is tied up at 51.
Clark hits her first 3 of the night, fans are on their feet.
— Gretchen Teske (@peskyteske) April 6, 2024
Iowa trails at the half 32-26.
— Gretchen Teske (@peskyteske) April 6, 2024
KK Arnold continues to lead with 10 points for UCONN but Hannah Stuelke is right behind her with 8.
Clark is 0-6 at the three-point line with six points total in the first half. #IowavsUConn
Wrapping up the first quarter of the #Iowavsuconn game the top scorers are:
— Gretchen Teske (@peskyteske) April 6, 2024
KK Arnold: 6
Hannah Stuelke: 6
Nika Muhl: 6
Ashlyn Shade: 5
Kate Martin: 3
Kylie Feuerbach: 3
Hawks trail 19-14.
Clark starts the game with an easy bucket, UCONN retaliates with one of their own.
— Gretchen Teske (@peskyteske) April 6, 2024
2-2 one minute in. This is going to be a close one.
Howdy from the women’s final four where South Caroline and NC State prepare to square off.
— Gretchen Teske (@peskyteske) April 5, 2024
7 minutes until game time. pic.twitter.com/uVMJJx9JZL
Friday, April 5. 5:53 p.m. EDT
When I first walked into the media room this morning, it was silent. With just more than an hour to go until the South Carolina/North Carolina State game, that has changed drastically.
Most workspaces are taken up by reporters in orange lanyards, pouring over laptops and slinging backpacks onto shoulder on top of suits. In my jeans, hoodie and Nike's, I feel a little under-dressed.
Fans were let in about 25 minutes ago and walking into the lobby shows me they most certainly were arriving. The hallways are now crowded with people, the hot dogs and popcorn are flying off the shelves.
Back in the work room, laptops are snapping closed and shouts of "good luck" echoed through the room. I glance to my right and study where my assigned seat is for the game.
This morning when I showed some Iowa fans my seats they immediately hit me with a barrage of questions: "Do you need a mom this weekend to sit with you? A grandma? How about some aunts, would you like some aunts?"
It's like they're my family already.
Marty Polka of Norwalk, IA may not have his tickets but he’s got the right fit! Hawkeye fans are pouring into Cleveland and lighting the town yellow. pic.twitter.com/ckriumiUAB
— Gretchen Teske (@peskyteske) April 5, 2024
Friday, April 5. 1:07 p.m. EDT
I woke up this morning shaking with excitement. It's a great day to be a journalist. And a Hawkeye.
My high school's mascot was the Rockets and our slogan was, "It's a great day to be a Rocket." Every time my dad would come home from work he would ask me if it was a great day to be a Rocket. Dad jokes.
My day started with lots of emails and texts from readers who have made the trip to "The Land" to watch the lady Hawks this evening. My first stop was at a coffee shop where I met a group of five from the Quad-Cities who very quickly told me the shop was owned by Machine Gun Kelly, a rapper and Cleveland native.
We talked everything from my story to their stories. About Davenport, about Cleveland. We even made the unexpected connection that a couple of them are related to a kid on the lacrosse team I coach. Hi Fiona!
It was a mile to the shop and a mile back to the stadium, where I made it through security and followed the orange dots to the work room. It's a practice gym, most definitely. The floors are covered by foam tiles, laid down so we don't ruin the court.
The walls are lined on the bottom with black padding, white square bricks on top. There's six basketball hoops, but it's totally silent. Rows and rows of tables with black skirts and maroon and black folding chairs line the room.
An array of wires and outlets abound. It's the "digital media hub" according to a sign on the wall.
Really, it's eight hours before the big game. And I couldn't be more excited.
Friday, April 5. 10:11 a.m. EDT
My laptop tells me it's only 9:11 a.m. My cell phone and watch tell me it's 10:11 a.m. The microwave in my hotel room says its 6:46. Really, I have no idea what time it is.
Although Cleveland is only an hour ahead, I feel both miles ahead and behind today. I woke up to emails from readers attending the games today and have yet to get back to them — coffee first.
But I will. It's going to be cloudy with a high of 40 degrees, but nothing can bring me down today. The Hawkeyes play tonight and I get to be in the room where it happens. But first, coffee. Then, emails.
You can follow live tweets from Gretchen on X (formerly Twitter): @peskyteske.
Cleveland what’s good boo!?
— Gretchen Teske (@peskyteske) April 5, 2024
I’m here covering @IowaWBB on their journey in the final four this weekend. Are you here!? Let’s connect!
Back in Iowa? Follow along!! pic.twitter.com/jfe79t1jel