The Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball team has nurtured a close-knit, family-like culture in the locker room that has led to remarkable success.
This is exemplified on the court by Iowa reaching two consecutive NCAA championship games in the last two seasons, and off the court by the strong relationships Hawkeyes players have developed with each other, which endure even after their college careers have ended.
Kate Martin is a prime example of this. She not only remains best friends with Caitlin Clark but also maintains close connections with multiple other former players.
Former Hawkeyes center Monika Czinano played a significant role in Iowa’s success in the 2022-23 NCAA season, and was another player whom Martin and Clark were good friends with.
On Sunday, Czinano shared a major announcement about her future on her TikTok account.
“I played overseas last year in Hungary. I love it, wouldn’t trade it for the world,” Czinano said in the post. “And once I got done with it, I was studying for the MCAT the whole time… got back, took the MCAT… my ultimate dream has kind of always been to become a doctor. And I feel very fulfilled with basketball.
“And because of that, I feel very content with it, and I’m kind of ready to take the next step,” she continued. “I feel good about it, I want to be a doctor, and so that’s kind of where my life has pivoted to.”
Monika life update!! I can’t fit it all on here but it’s on her TikTok! pic.twitter.com/sZH4ia2gBM
— rachel (@juiccebox1) November 25, 2024
Essentially, Czinano has announced that her basketball playing days are done so she can pursue becoming a doctor.
And it didn’t take Martin long to show her support of Czinano’s seismic decision by commenting, “I love this 🥰,” on her TikTok post.
Martin and Czinano’s bond clearly remains strong despite them being in different places with their respective careers.
