Iowa Coach Jan Jensen Details What Makes Caitlin Clark 'The One'

Iowa coach Jan Jensen explained Caitlin Clark's GOAT case in reflecting on her time with the Hawkeyes.

Apr 4, 2024; Cleveland, OH, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark (left) poses with associate head coach Jan Jensen after being selected as the AP Player of the Year at a press conference at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Stepping into the head coaching shoes for the Iowa Women’s basketball program was no small feat for Jan Jensen following the famed Caitlin Clark era. Clark didn’t just put the Hawkeyes on the map, she lit it up, spearheading Iowa's run to back-to-back NCAA Championship appearances for the first time in school history.

But with Clark declaring for the 2024 WNBA Draft and longtime head coach Lisa Bluder announcing her retirement shortly after, it was time for a new chapter with Jensen (who was previously the team's assistant coach) taking the helm.

Jensen took part in an April 21 interview with KCRG’s On Iowa Live, reflecting on her time coaching Clark and what made the Indiana Fever star such a generational talent. “When you have a person like Caitlin, arguably the greatest of all time... everybody always asks me, ‘Why was she so magnetic? Why was she the one?’” Jensen said. “She was the only one doing what only one other player was doing and that was Steph Curry. End of story.”

Jan talks about the magic of the Caitlin Clark Era 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 pic.twitter.com/liPpSn92lx

— ericaf455 (@ericaf455) April 22, 2025

Jensen was referring to Clark’s deep shot range and her uncanny ability to hit 3-pointers from court logos on a consistent basis, something that had not been seen in the women’s game before.

“Steph Curry was the greatest range shooter that arguably the men’s game has ever seen and then heres this kid, you know, out of the middle of the country that’s doing the same thing,” Jensen added.

Jensen acknowledged that following in the footsteps of such a historic era won’t be easy, but she’s embracing the challenge with excitement rather than pressure. She sees it as a challenge to carry on an iconic legacy while building something new.

Meanwhile, Clark continues to do what made her famous at Iowa with the Fever in the WNBA.