The Iowa Hawkeyes landed a heavily sought-after 5-star recruit, somewhat softening the blow of losing star guard Caitlin Clark to the WNBA at the end of the season.

The Iowa Hawkeyes are likely dreading star guard Caitlin Clark’s impending departure to the WNBA. Landing 5-star recruit Addie Deal, however, certainly softens the blow.

On Tuesday, Deal announced she’d committed to the University of Iowa. The Mater Dei High School prospect is ranked No. 12 overall in the 2025 class and first overall from California, according to ESPN. She becomes the highest-rated recruit to join the Hawkeyes since Clark (No.4 overall) in 2020.

The Hawkeyes have had their eye on Deal for quite some time, actively recruiting her over the last several years. The 6-foot guard last visited the campus on March 3 for Iowa’s Senior Day, where she watched Clark and co. defeat No. 2 Ohio State, 93-83.

“They had us there at 9 in the morning for [College GameDay]. It was amazing,” Deal told The Gazette of her visit to Carver-Hawkeye Arena. “It was loud the whole time. It was amazing to see in person.”

Deal officially committed to Iowa the same day, but didn’t publicly divulge her decision until nine days later.

During her sophomore season, Deal averaged 15 points — a team-high — 5.3 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game. She suffered a season-ending ankle injury her junior year, but is expected to be fully healthy by the start of club season in the summer.

After much deliberation, Deal chose Iowa over 26 other schools, among them Iowa State, Ohio State, Indiana, LSU, Oregon and Arizona.

“I love Iowa, I love the coaching staff, and I love the culture. Their style of play suits me,” she said. “I love Iowa’s transition offense. I love their pace of play. They’re so much fun to watch.

Deal is just the second recruit that the Hawkeyes have landed from the 2025 class. She joins Davenport guard Journey Houston, who is ranked No. 36 overall.

Iowa will hope that Deal, who won’t officially join the team until 2025, can help replace the irreplaceable. After Clark formally declared for the 2024 WNBA Draft last month — where she is all but guaranteed to be selected No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever — the Hawkeyes have begun to bring in the players who will succeed her.

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Clark recently solidified herself as one of the greatest college players of all time, surpassing LSU’s “Pistol” Pete Maravich as the leading scorer in NCAA Division I basketball history. Deal was in attendance for this monumental event, and her play-style is eerily similar to the 22-year-old’s.

Like Clark, Deal prides herself on her ability to score from well beyond the three-point arc. She is additionally a crisp passer who routinely creates scoring opportunities for her teammates.

At Iowa, Deal is poised to assume the starting shooting or point guard position in no time.