Prairie Lights invites you to join sports writer Howard Megdal when he reads from his newest book, Becoming Caitlin Clark, and will be joined in conversation with recently retired Iowa Women's Basketball head coach Lisa Bluder and current head coach Jan Jensen!
Combining modern reportage with historical revelations, Becoming Caitlin Clark is a "multifaceted portrait of Caitlin Clark's game-changing superstardom and the cultural foundation it was built upon...Spanning 100 years and several generations, Becoming Caitlin Clark traces the arc between the revered women who played the wildly popular game of 6-on-6 basketball in the 1920s and Clark in the 2020s, examining her fame and style of play in the context of her predecessors, while telling the story of the basketball-loving community that rallied behind her in college and beyond" (triumphbooks.com).
Howard Megdal is a journalist and editor who has worked hard over his career to equalize coverage between both men and women's sports, while covering baseball, basketball, soccer, and other sports. He is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of The IX Newsletter, a daily newsletter covering five different women's sports, and The Next, a 24/7 women's basketball outlet. He is a freelancer for numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, FiveThirtyEight, and Forbes. His books include Rare Gems, The Baseball Talmud, Wilpon's Folly, Taking The Field, and The Cardinals Way.
Lisa Bluder was named UI head women’s basketball coach in 2000 and retired as the all-time winningest coach in Big Ten history with an overall record of 528-254 and a Big Ten record of 262-145. Under her leadership, the Hawkeyes advanced to the last two National Championship Games and made 22 postseason appearances overall (18 NCAA and 4 WNIT), including 14 of the last 16 NCAA Tournaments. Bluder led the Hawkeyes to five Big Ten Tournament titles, and two shared Big Ten regular season championships.
Jan Jensen is in her 26th season with the Iowa women’s basketball team and her second as the head coach. Jensen was named the P. Sue Beckwith, MD, Head Women’s Basketball Coach on May 13, 2024. The position was endowed in 2021 by P. Sue Beckwith, MD, one of UI athletics’ most generous supporters. Sue Beckwith was a four-year letter winner with Iowa Women’s Basketball (1976-1980) and has earned three UI degrees; 1980 BS, 1984 MD, and 2015 MBA.