HAMILTON, Mich. — The world watched Caitlin Clark and the Iowa women's basketball team in historic form on Monday night, with a record-setting 12.3 million viewers tuning in to witness the Hawkeyes defeat the LSU Tigers in a rematch of last year's championship game.
During the 2023-24 season, Clark and company have turned into appointment television, but some fans have been watching since the beginning, including Etta and Bill Post, the grandparents of AJ Ediger.
The Hamilton star who broke her high school's all-time scoring and rebounding record has averaged five minutes and two points per game during her junior season at Iowa, coming off the bench for the team.
"She's still our granddaughter, even though she's part of a very famous basketball team," Etta said. "She can be sitting there on the bench, but if her number is called, she goes out there all enthusiastically."
During the Elite Eight matchup, Ediger subbed in to defend LSU's Angel Reese, who declared this week for the WNBA Draft.
"It was like, 'Wow, AJ is going in!'" Etta said, remembering the night.
The Posts— who own Post Family Farms in Hudsonville and call West Michigan home— watched the Hawkeye women punch their ticket to a second consecutive Final Four from their Florida residence, but were "nervous" as the teams traded blows, with Iowa pulling away late.
"While she's in there, she does a good job," said Bill about Ediger.
Last spring, the Posts watched their granddaughter and her teammates fall short against the Tigers in the national championship, sitting in the stands of the American Airlines Center in Dallas. They also make trips out to Carver-Hawkeye arena in Iowa City to watch home games.
"She always has time to answer," Etta said about communication with the student-athlete. "We always get a response and a 'love you.'"
The Hawkeyes will try to add a national title to its name this weekend, but these players— including Ediger— are already in the history books for how their play has grown the game, her grandparents say.
"Probably the most famous team ever in women's college basketball," Etta said. "Exciting to see how women's sports have become so popular."
