DES MOINES, Iowa — Hawkeye fans preparing for the CyHawk game were sidetracked when news broke that Caitlin Clark was out for the rest of the 2025 season.

Luke Gallagher, a Hawkeye fan, said that he hopes Caitlin Clark will be healthy in the long term.

“It’s tough, obviously. You know, everybody around here is a big Fever fan. Now, when she is injured, you obviously, you’re more focused on long term. So I’m fine with that as long as she’s healthy in the long run,” Gallagher said.

Camryn Carstensen, a Hawkeye fan, said that she is sad about Caitlin Clark being sidelined.

“Bummed about it, but really excited for her return. She’s changed women’s basketball for the best, so excited to have her back and see her continued impact,” Carstensen said.

Kevin Elbert, a Hawkeye fan said Iowans will still support the Indiana Fever.

“The state of Iowa loves women’s basketball. So we’ve all kind of rallied around the Indiana Fever and there’s lots of other players on the team that we all enjoy, and I think we will continue to root for them. And we’re excited to see Caitlin come back next year, and it’s unfortunate that we don’t get to watch her again,” Elbert said.

Kirk Szczepkowski, a Hawkeye fan, said that Clark being sidelined is a massive hit to the WNBA.

“I think it’s a huge hit for their league. It’s obviously a massive hit for the Indiana Fever. They’re still playing good ball. So I think they obviously can still hang in there. But just bummer for her. Bummer for Iowa. Bummer for all the Caitlin Clark and Iowa fans out there,” Szczepkowski said.