Gabbie Marshall, Molly Davis: Meet Caitlin Clark’s Bolsters and Iowa’s Fitting Pieces

Published 11/27/2023, 2:43 AM EST

Caitlin Clark’s performance was crucial in the Iowa’s latest encounter, but she couldn’t make three out of the final four free throws. But her efforts were salvaged by Gabbie Marshall and Molly Davis. The rise of the duo in Clark’s growing shade is scripting a terrific team bonding in the Iowa camp.

In the Gulf Coast Showcase title game at the Hertz Arena in Estero, Florida, on Sunday night, Iowa’s women’s basketball team defeated the No. 16 Kansas State Wildcats 77-70. It was a rematch of their previous matchup on November 16 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, where Kansas State had handed Iowa a 65-58 defeat. Caitlin Clark scored 32 points, while Molly Davis scored two floaters and Gabbie Marshall connected on her first three in the game.

The Return of Gabbie Marshall

Marshall is an integral part of the team, tasked with providing elite defense while being a knockdown shooter. Although she started last season with a cold 3-pointer, she showed her lethal skills from beyond the arc to close out the season. She was second on the team in 3-pointers made and attempted. With the departure of McKenna Warnock, coach Lisa Bluder will depend on Marshall to excel in her role even more.

During the 2023 Final Four matchup with South Carolina, Marshall’s defensive role was evident. She was limited to 39 minutes of action but finished the Hawkeyes’ 77-73 victory against the top-seeded Gamecocks without scoring. Marshall was elected to be the team captain for the 2023–2024 season by the other members of the women’s basketball team, demonstrating their appreciation for her as a teammate.

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Marshall clarified that her approach to leadership is more attitude-focused and less outspoken. She wants to move behind last year’s historic run, which concluded with a devastating loss to LSU in the National Championship, and keep the squad concentrated on this season. According to Marshall, “it’s a new season, new opportunities, and new areas of growth.”

The Arrival of Molly Davis

Lisa Bluder, the head coach of the P. Sue Beckwith, MD, women’s basketball team at the University of Iowa, recently announced that Molly Davis has committed to the university. Davis, who is about to become a senior, transferred from Central Michigan University, where she played for three seasons.

Due to the extra year of eligibility granted because of COVID-19, she will be able to attend college for two more years. During her time at Central Michigan, Davis started for three years and scored a total of 1,438 career points, making her the 12th-highest scorer in the program’s history.

She was named First Team All-MAC, Second Team All-MAC, and Freshman Team All-MAC. In her junior year in 2022, she led the team in scoring (18.6 ppg), steals (1.3 spg), assists (4.7 apg), made 94 free throws, and was second in the team in 3-pointers made with 52. She also scored in double digits in 67 games, including 20 in the previous season.

In her sophomore year in 2021, she scored 20.8 points per game, ranking sixth in the MAC and 23rd in the NCAA. In her freshman year in 2020, she was the second-leading scorer on the team and ranked 12th in the conference with an average of 14.3 points per game.

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Both Marshall and Davis are important side-pieces around the Iowa’s main player. Their recent performances make it clear that the Iowa has done their teamwork well while eyeing another championship final this year.

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Written by:

“Basketball isn’t an act of jumping jacks, it’s a sport mirroring life through assists and rebounds”. Before becoming an NBA writer at EssentiallySports, I was drawn to the world of basketball when 'The Chosen One' first started locking horns with 'His Airness' over the GOAT debate. Some discourses shape your imagination and rightly so.

Edited by:

Bilal Handoo