No Iowa women's basketball player will wear No. 22 again.

That's since the Hawkeyes will retire Caitlin Clark's jersey in an in-arena ceremony on Feb. 2 when Iowa takes on USC at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

During her 4 years with this system, Clark rewrote each the Iowa and NCAA record books. Last winter, she became the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer, the foremost colleges' all-time leading scorer and the boys's and girls's Division I all-time leading scorer in a 17-day span. During her profession, Clark also broke the three-pointer record in a single season, participated in two national championships, was a four-time AP All-American and was named National Player of the Year twice.

However, all of this reflects only a part of Clark's legacy, as her influence was visible and felt in the thrill surrounding every game she played. Iowa broke countless attendance, merchandise and tv records. According to ESPN, the 2024 national championship between the Hawkeyes and Gamecocks was the most-watched basketball game (men's or women's college or skilled) since 2019, averaging 18.9 million viewers and peaking at 24.1 million viewers, a 90 percent increase in comparison with the 2023 title game.

“I am forever proud to be a Hawkeye and Iowa has a special place in my heart that is bigger than just basketball,” Clark said in an announcement. “It means a lot to me to receive this honor and celebrate it with my family, friends and alumni. It will be a great feeling to look up in the attic and see my jersey next to those I have admired for so long.”

To the rafters.

2.2.25@CaitlinClark22 X #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/Qjq1Y1VfrZ

— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) December 18, 2024

“Caitlin Clark not only redefined excellence on the field, but inspired countless young athletes to pursue their dreams with passion and determination,” said Athletics Director Beth Goetz. “Her remarkable achievements have left an indelible mark on the University of Iowa and the world of women’s basketball.”

If Clark's No. 22 goes down, she’s going to turn out to be the third women's basketball player to have their numbers honored at Iowa, joining Michelle Edwards' No. 30 and Megan Gustafson's No. 10.

After Clark moved to the skilled ranks – where she made first-team All-WNBA as a rookie with the Indiana Fever – the Hawkeyes entered a transitional season. Shortly after last 12 months, long-time head coach Lisa Bluder retired, leaving her long-time assistant head coach Jan Jensen in charge. Iowa, now led by junior forward Hannah Stuelke and senior transfer guard Lucy Olsen, opened the season by winning its first eight games. However, the Hawkeyes have lost two of their last three contests, falling to Tennessee and Michigan State.

Iowa's Feb. 2 matchup will probably be its first against the Trojans after USC moved as much as the Big Ten. USC is led by JuJu Watkins, who, despite only being a sophomore, is already seen as Clark's successor in moving women's college basketball forward.

Kickoff for USC-Iowa is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. ET and the competition will air on FOX.

“The retirement of her number is a testament to her extraordinary contributions and a tribute to her legacy that will continue to inspire future generations,” Goetz said. “Hawkeye fans really want to say thank you for so many incredible moments.”

Required reading

Rafael Nadal has confirmed he’ll retire from skilled tennis after the Davis Cup finals in Malaga, Spain, in November.

“The reality is that it has been a difficult few years, particularly the last two. I don’t think I was able to play without restrictions,” the 38-year-old said in a video posted on Thursday, October 10.

“It's obviously a difficult decision that took me some time. But in this life everything has a beginning and an end.”

Nadal won his first skilled match on the age of 15 at a Challenger tournament in Seville and went on to win 22 Grand Slam titles, including 14 French Open. He will finish his profession with a record of 112-4 at Roland Garros, where he lost his last Grand Slam match to Alexander Zverev earlier this 12 months.

In 2008, he broke Roger Federer's streak of 5 Wimbledon titles in a final that lasted 4 hours and 48 minutes, in the primary shift of a 15-year rivalry between the 2 players at the highest of the boys's game. Alongside Novak Djokovic, Nadal and Federer formed the “Big Three” and have won 66 Grand Slam titles together. Federer retired in 2022 on the age of 41, but Djokovic remains to be an lively player.

While the 2008 Wimbledon final is commonly considered probably the greatest matches of all time, Nadal and Djokovic's 5 hour, 53 minute long 2012 Australian Open final, which Djokovic won in five sets, and their 2009 semifinal meeting in Madrid, which Nadal won won in three, at the least standing next to it.

Along with these two, Nadal will retire from tennis as certainly one of the best male players of all time.

“I am very, very lucky for all the things that I have experienced. “I would like to thank the tennis industry and everyone in this sport: my long-time colleagues, especially my great rivals,” the Spaniard added.

“I think it is the right time to end a career that has been long and much more successful than I could have ever imagined.”

Nadal won his last Grand Slam title on the 2022 French Open, essentially playing on one foot after numbing his left one with injections to give you the chance to compete. He then suffered an abdominal tear at Wimbledon 2022 and one other injury on the Australian Open 2023. His last singles appearance was on the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he lost in a one-sided straight sets defeat to Djokovic, who would go on to win Olympic gold. Nadal won a gold medal in singles on the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

He is predicted to play on the Davis Cup together with his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz, who at 21 is already a four-time Grand Slam winner.

“An emotional outburst from personalities that go far beyond tennis”

Nadal's retirement announcement isn't an enormous surprise, but it surely still feels seismic.

Men's tennis without Nadal just doesn't seem right. For almost 20 years he has been such a dominant, unique figure on this sport – a real one-of-a-kind whose fame and reverence extends far beyond tennis. One only has to take a look at the outpouring of emotion from figures across all sports, particularly in football and particularly in Spain, to comprehend its global impact.

It wasn't nearly what he achieved on the pitch, but in addition how he achieved it. Somehow he was part raging bull, part impeccably behaved athlete, first changing the perception of clay court players after which obliterating them.

Nadal was initially regarded as such when he won the French Open in 2005, but then developed probably the greatest all-court games within the history of the game, winning 22 Grand Slam titles and becoming probably the greatest volleyball players in the boys's game by the tip his profession. In addition to those 14 French Open titles, he won two Wimbledon titles, two Australian Open titles and 4 US Open titles.

His rivalry with Roger Federer shaped tennis within the 2000s and made the game accessible to a bigger audience than ever before. The 2008 Wimbledon final that Nadal won is taken into account by many to be the best match of all time, but his 2012 Australian Open final against Novak Djokovic and their three 2009 ATP clay-court meetings (in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome) also stand amongst many others.

For many, Nadal is the best player and competitor to ever play the boys's game, with definitely the fiercest and handiest forehand the game has ever seen.

It is the character of sport for stars to continuously evolve and naturally, rationally, we knew at the present time would all the time come. And yet one way or the other Nadal felt immortal, in a position to continuously withstand serious injuries to rise back to the highest of the game and win certainly one of his biggest prizes, the 2022 French Open, with a functional foot.

At 38, he has struggled with one too many injuries and it’s time to say goodbye. But the legacy he leaves behind won’t ever be forgotten.

(Photo: Clive Mason/Getty Images)

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will not be the one examples of politicians working into their golden years. Members of the newborn boomer generation – Americans born between 1946 and 1964 – are the most quite a few in the homeand within the Senate they outnumber the legislators of all other generations combined.

Overall, two-thirds of US Senators and almost half of the members of the House of Representatives Entitlement to full old-age pension through the pension system for federal employees. And yet they proceed to work. The 4 Supreme Court judges over 65 years of age.

You will not be alone. If you might have the alternative, Americans appear to prefer working more quite than lessThis applies to their weekly and annual working hours in addition to to the They spend their lives working. To 1 in 5 Americans over 65 worksalthough they’ve passed the purpose at which they’re entitled to full old-age pension and social security payments.

The proportion of older people within the working population is increasing, even though it is unclear how a lot of them still stamp because they need and what number of cannot afford to stop because Holes within the US security net.

As Historian and anthropologist of medication within the USAI actually have spent years researching how American adults generally voted to earn higher wages as a substitute of reducing their working hours.

I consider that Biden’s Decision to retire after years in public service offers a possibility to reflect on what’s at stake for society when so many individuals over 65 years of age proceed to workespecially in outstanding roles.

Retirement conventions in other countries

Maybe not for politicians, but in lots of professions, fewer hours are needed today to realize the identical level of performance as a century ago, due to Advances in manufacturing and computing.

Still, Hardly anyone reduces their workload Despite these efficiency gains. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a government agency, most full-time employees within the United States report about 40 hours of labor per week.

Many Europeans work shorter hours, take longer holidays and more generous pensions from their governments than their US counterparts. It isn’t any coincidence that the support of Retirement at 65 years or earlier, enjoys broad support within the European Union.

In the United States, the later retirement age is partly attributable to political changes. For Americans born in 1960 or later, The nationwide retirement age has been raised to 67 years from 65. This also includes the tip of those that are the newborn boomwho turn 65 between 2025 and 2028. Retirees who’re entitled to social advantages can receive a lower amount at age 62 and shall be rewarded with higher amounts Social security advantages in the event that they work until the age of 70.

As economist Dora Costa writes in her book:The development of retirement“The convention of a set retirement age emerged at first of the twentieth century in consequence of actuarial data on life expectancy and the introduction of pension and social insurance systems.

Ageing and health

To ensure, everyone ages in another wayand there are advantages to society when older people remain in employment after their sixty fifth birthday, including institutional memory and workplace experience.

The advantages of working in old age are sometimes debated. In some cases, research supports the Benefits some people gain from working after age 65But research also supports the Importance of hobbies and their health-promoting effects. It is obvious that Stay lively in old age is an important thing to remain healthy in old age.

However, there are also some disadvantages related to health problems in old age.

For example, routine illnesses outsized impact on aging bodiesand recovery from injuries and illnesses can take longer for those over 65 than for younger adults. This can mean long periods of time when an worker is unable to do their job.

Cognitive abilities can hardly decrease for some people, while others experience the dramatic changes in reference to age-related dementia.

Unfortunately, it’s difficult to find out who should really retire in the event that they don’t volunteer, because cognitive tests not all the time reliableThey often judge the Skills required to take the exam and never the underlying capacities.

For example, hearing tests inadvertently assess listening comprehension by attempting to Measure the power to recollect a sequence of words. Many tests functionally test an individual's personality quite than their cognitive abilities. People with certain personality types may hide their cognitive changes. In addition, bias in assessing cognitive changes is usually based on the Experience of the examiner in coping with the examinee.

Except in cases where someone is experiencing obvious changes of their cognitive performance and skill to interact with others, the argument that somebody must retire is usually rooted in ableist assumptions.

Social security concerns

When the necessity to retire someone is dependent upon their perceived ability to do the job, that call becomes unnecessarily biased. In my view, establishing a compulsory retirement age would offer a neutral mechanism to be certain that retirement from public service is smoother than it was for Biden.

Many older Americans who work beyond 65 accomplish that because they can not afford to retire. The cost of living, including those related to longevity, has outpaced the support provided by Social Security advantages. The poverty rate amongst adults over 65 is much higher than in Europe.

But just about all politicians and officials within the USA can stop working at 65 or shortly thereafter. They have the advantage of Pension system for federal employees and federal employees Savings planwhich some economists argue could function a job model for everybody else. Although they may exit their profession without financial worries, a lot of these leaders and employees stay within the job long after they leave.

If the United States were to introduce a compulsory retirement age for all federal employees, it might at the very least spare those Americans the difficult conversations about mental capability that a lot of us must have as we age.

In the meantime, Biden's decision to retire provides a possibility to think together about when Americans should retire.

Bruins

The hug between Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman on the ice after the victory quickly became a beloved ritual for the Bruins over the past three seasons.

However, one shouldn’t expect this routine to hold over to Ottawa now that Ullmark's tenure in Boston has come to an end.

In his first official media presence with the senators on WednesdayUllmark was asked if he plans to proceed the same tradition together with his recent goalkeeping partner Anton Forsberg.

“I'm not taking it with me to Ottawa,” Ullmark admitted. “The goalie hug we had in Boston is just for me and Sway – out of respect for what we had and what we built in our years together, and out of the respect, love and admiration I have for him.”

“There's certainly – I'm not going to say we're going to come up with something new or anything like that. There's always been the celebrations after games we win. So we'll see what happens. Who knows? Maybe there'll be a dab or something. But I'm not going to try too hard to come up with something new or anything like that. I've just got to let it flow naturally.”

Ullmark developed into one in all the NHL's best goalies during his time with Boston, winning the Vezina Trophy because the league's best goalie for the 2022-23 season. But with Swayman's promotion to Boston's franchise goalie – coupled together with his impending raise – it was clear that Ullmark's time in Boston would come to an end this summer.

Boston traded Ullmark to the Senators on Monday and received in return the twenty fifth pick within the 2024 NHL Draft, forward Mark Kastelic and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo.

Ullmark acknowledged that being transferred is a component of the job within the NHL.

“I mean, that's part of the job. There's always a time in your life or your career when you're in the trading market or something like that. And it's just business,” Ullmark said. “Once you start something, you always want to finish it.”

“But at the same time, things like this open up new opportunities. So I would have loved to win in Boston, but at the same time, I'm just as excited now and looking forward to getting the same opportunity, but in Ottawa and with the guys there.”

While Ullmark will try to lead a young and untested Ottawa team to the highest within the 2024-25 season, he delivered glowing reviews of the Bruins on Wednesday – particularly when it got here to Boston's longtime goaltending coach Bob Essensa.

“Goalie Bob is a special person in every way,” said Ullmark. “He's a great guy. He's a special person and he puts a smile on my face every time I see him, every time I'm around him. We've had our talks and discussions over the years, but there was never any bad blood and we always had a good understanding of what needed to be done.”

“And I enjoyed every single moment with him and I'm very grateful to Bobby. And I've said it before – and I really think goalie coaches should be available for induction into the Hall of Fame. And I think he's an instant Hall of Famer in that regard.”

While Ullmark's presence between the posts ought to be a giant help for a Senators team that had the team's second-worst save percentage (.884) last season, it stays to be seen if he plans to remain in Ottawa for the long haul.

Ullmark, who will turn into a free agent next summer, didn’t conform to a contract extension with Ottawa as a part of Monday's trade, which likely hurt the general return Boston received from the Senators.

Currently, Ullmark appears to be specializing in other priorities before resuming contract negotiations with the Senators.

“My biggest concern right now is finding a place to live for my family, finding schools for my kids and getting to know the people in Ottawa. … So the whole contract situation and the conversations around it are something that (Ottawa GM) Steve (Staios) and my agent will deal with on the sidelines.

“And I also told him that he can all the time reach out to me if there's anything to debate… So that's the situation immediately. And I try to not look too far ahead, I attempt to stay within the moment and never worry about what might be or what is likely to be in the longer term, but as a substitute just benefit from the present.”

One of my favorite assignments as a sportswriter got here in 2013 after I rode the C train through New York City with Charles Barkley. The TNT NBA analyst had never ridden the New York subway before, and a sensible PR guy from Turner Sports got here up with the concept of ​​having Barkley ride the train from Manhattan to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. “Barkley to Barclays!”

Both the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets were in trouble on the time, and as we sat in a crowded subway automotive stuffed with New Yorkers excited to see the NBA Hall of Famer, Barkley heard a baby crying.

“I'm going to watch the Knicks and Nets, so I know exactly how the baby feels,” Barkley joked. Laughter erupted within the automotive. You can try my very amateur footage of the trip here:

Someone who knows him well once told me that Barkley hated being alone. That statement has all the time stuck with me, and I've all the time noticed the energy he drew from being around people, including on that subway automotive over 10 years ago.

I've interviewed Barkley again and again, but I don't wish to overstate what I find out about him. I don't know much about his life outside of his job. But in all my interactions with him over a dozen years, including an interview in front of nearly 1,000 people at South By Southwest, I don't think I've ever seen him alone. He's all the time with someone. If you may have never read this story about Barkley and a gentleman named Lin WangI feel you'll find it insightful since it offers insight into Barkley's desire to be around people.

For this reason, I don't think he’ll quit sports reporting.

So, to that. With the conclusion of the NBA Finals on Monday evening – a defeat of a hard-fought series and a collapse in audience numbers — the NBA's focus is on officially finalizing its future media rights deal in addition to the NBA Draft. But last week, there was a major shock after Game 4 of the NBA Finals that also not directly pertains to the media rights deals, when Barkley said he would retire from television after the 2024-25 season, no matter what happens with Warner Bros. Discovery's NBA media rights negotiations.

“I'm not going anywhere but TNT,” Barkley said on NBA TV. “But I made the decision myself that next year, no matter what happens, will be my last year on television.”

When I heard those words, I traveled back in time. The first time Barkley told me he was considering retiring from broadcasting was in 2012 when he said it could be difficult to satisfy his contract with Turner Sports. He was 49 years old.

“I love my job,” Barkley said on the time. “I love the people I work with. And I'm going to try to do things that keep me going. But my current contract has four years left, and to be honest, it's going to be a struggle for me to make it through the full four years. I really don't know how much longer I'm going to do this. I need more or something else to do.”

“I thought I'd only do this for three or four years, but now I've been doing it for 13 years. When I started my fifth year in broadcasting, I thought, 'OK, I'll do this for a couple more years.' But now I think, 'Dude, you've been doing this for 13 years,' and if I make it to the end of my contract, it'll be 17 years. Seventeen years is a long time. In broadcasting, that's a lifetime. Personally, I have to figure out what the next challenge is for me.”

Fast forward to 2018. The second piece I wrote as a staff author was a protracted interview with Barkley during which he again set an end date for his time as a broadcaster.

German: How many more years would you prefer to work as a moderator?

Barkley: I'm attempting to live to 60 because I need to be young enough to enjoy life and rejoice. This isn’t any disrespect to old people, but I don't think you'll have much fun at 70 or 75. From 60 to 70 I just wish to enjoy life.

German: You told me in our previous conversation that you simply considered giving up broadcasting, but you stayed. What has modified?

Barkley: Well, No. 1, money. I even have an incredible contract. But I'm retiring at 60.

The end didn't come at 60. Barkley is now 61. No one I spoke to in sports coverage over the weekend, including people near Barkley, believed he would actually retire. One suggested he was having fun with the highlight an excessive amount of. Another said they believed he would change his mind if someone made it clear how much they wanted him. I spoke to a sports television executive who hires NBA talent who said individuals who have been within the highlight so long as Barkley has don't give it up easily. The executive believed Barkley would change his mind. There are also people at WBD who imagine something may be worked out with Barkley, with or without NBA media rights. TNT issued an announcement leaving things open.

“We look forward to another fantastic season of NBA on TNT and to continuing to discuss our future plans with him,” the statement said.

The NBA season is long and tiring. The rights deal has been a multitude for TNT Sports employees, especially those behind the scenes. WBD CEO David Zaslav, as many have written, has been holding a training session on the way to scare away your potential sports media partner. Barkley sounded drained to me when he spoke on NBA TV, and he has clearly been upset concerning the whole process in previous interviews. I don't think it is a negotiating ploy, as he would don’t have any problem getting $15-20 million annually in a future contract. I also imagine he really meant what he said last week.

But keep this prediction to yourself: I don't think it should stop there. With some rest and renewed energy, Barkley will remain on TV beyond 2025.