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Caitlin Clark Sends Message to Former Iowa Teammate Gabbie Marshall on Friday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Cole Sullivan | Last updated Aug 22, 2025 2:29 PM ET

Caitlin Clark has become one of the most prominent faces in sports, but her rise was far from ordinary.

Coming out of high school as the nation’s No. 4 ranked prospect, she chose to commit to Iowa—staying close to home while helping rejuvenate a program that wasn’t among the elite in women’s basketball.

She did exactly that—rewriting the record books, guiding Iowa to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances, and cementing her place as the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I history.

Still, Clark’s journey wasn’t a solo act. Alongside her were Kate Martin, now in the WNBA with the Golden State Valkyries, and Gabbie Marshall, who had a standout collegiate career of her own despite choosing not to pursue the pros. Clark and Marshall shared all four years together at Iowa, forging a strong bond on and off the court.

On Friday, Clark marked Marshall’s 25th birthday with a heartfelt message: “Happy bday sweetie. I love you [so much] @gabbiemarshall.”

Gabbie Marshall spent five seasons at Iowa, arriving a year before Caitlin Clark in 2020. Across 166 career games, she started 137, averaging 27.7 minutes while contributing 6.6 points, 1.7 assists, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. Marshall earned her reputation as one of the Hawkeyes’ primary defensive anchors.

Clark, on the other hand, was an offensive juggernaut who carried much of Iowa’s scoring load. She started all 139 games she played, averaging 34.8 minutes, 28.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.1 rebounds.

Over her career, she collected two National Player of the Year awards, three Big Ten Player of the Year honors, and two Wooden Awards. Together with Marshall, she helped guide the Hawkeyes to back-to-back NCAA championship appearances, though they ultimately fell short in both.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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