By Madie Chandler | FeverBasketball.com

In the initial moments of her return to Iowa’s Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Caitlin Clark drifted left off a screen and rattled down a 3-pointer from the center court Hawkeye logo. It was her first possession of her preseason debut, and her first shot back inside the arena at which she captivated college basketball as she wrote a new chapter of history for women’s sports.

“I love to compete at the end of the day,” Clark said pregame. “But also, this is a building I’m very comfortable playing in.”

Clark broke the NCAA’s all-time scoring record in Carver-Hawkeye, earning a stamp on the arena’s hardwood in her honor. Her No. 22 sits on the exact spot that she shot the record-breaking basket from – a forever reminder of the one-of-one player that thrilled the sold-out crowds of Iowa City before her Fever career.

Now, back on Iowa’s campus to kickstart her second year campaign, Clark dazzled the crowd once again. She recorded 13 points, five rebounds, and two assists in the first half to lead the Fever to a 70-point total at halftime.

Clark was on a mission to put on a show for her Iowa City fans, stating before the contest that she told her Fever teammates that Carver-Hawkeye would be the loudest arena they’d ever played in. Her first bucket earned a pop of energy from the crowd, and that reaction snowballed with each consecutive basket by Clark.

But those cheers rained down for her teammates, too. Kelsey Mitchell knocked down a 3-pointer directly following Clark’s opening basket, and Carver-Hawkeye erupted with the same enthusiasm it had for Clark.

“I think it’s really good for our fans that might not have a chance to go see us play in the [WNBA],” Clark said of WNBA games played in college arenas. “…I think it gives them a great opportunity to come and cheer for us, and also see a team they’ve probably watched on TV quite a few times.

“I’ve told my teammates they’re going to be here cheering for me, yes, but they’re also going to be here cheering for you and our entire team. And I think that’s what’s so great about these fans is they really rally around the entire team, it’s not just myself.”

Clark finished her preseason debut with 16 points, six rebounds, and five assists. She made six of her 10 shots – 60 percent from the field, including 67 percent from beyond the arc.

But the most memorable of Clark’s moments on Sunday afternoon came at the end of the third quarter as she raced up the floor with under a minute remaining in the period. She took three dribbles, eyed up her signature logo, and launched a 3-pointer from beyond it.

Her 36-footer didn’t touch the rim as it sailed through the bottom of the net.

As she embarks on her second year as a pro, Clark clings to her time at Iowa.

“Those are some of the best memories I have in my entire life,” she said of her days playing in a Hawkeye uniform. “So just soak it in and enjoy it.”

She gave Iowa City something to enjoy on Sunday, leading a ferocious Fever charge to a 108-44 victory in their second preseason contest. The reigning Rookie of the Year returned to her alma mater and gave her fans more memories in the arena that is now synonymous with her name.

Clark sat down on the bench following her final minutes of action, and holding out her hands in a heart, she showed her love to the people that supported her on the campus that built her.