Like many other young athletes in the Midwest, Caitlin Clark grew up in awe of Notre Dame sports.
The WNBA phenom discussed her experience visiting Notre Dame and her consideration of playing for the Fighting Irish during an interview on the “New Heights” podcast on Thursday.
“When you’re a kid, you want to go to Notre Dame,” Clark said. “It’s like the coolest thing in the world, it’s Notre Dame, it has that tradition.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PakGazette.Com
University of Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark, #22, cheers with her teammates near the end of the game against the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Championship at Target Center on Sunday, 10 March 2024 in Minneapolis. (Angelina Katsanis/Star Tribune via Getty Images)
Clark previously told ESPN that former Notre Dame women’s basketball coach Muffet McGraw tried to recruit her and that Clark’s own family also wanted her to play for the Fighting Irish.
“My family wanted me to go to Notre Dame,” Caitlin said. “At the end of the day they told me, you make the decision for yourself. But it’s NOTRE DAME! ‘Rudy’ was one of my favorite movies. How could I not choose Notre Dame?”
However, Clark said Thursday that he ultimately made the decision not to play there because of a feeling in his gut.
CAITLIN CLARK’S REJECTION OF WHITE PRIVILEGE COMMENTS SHOWS THERE ARE ‘PROBLEMS WITH RACE’ IN US, SAYS WNBA GREAT
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, #22, reacts to a call during a game between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky on Saturday, June 1, 2024 at Grainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (IndyStar-USA TODAY Sports)
“I felt it in my gut, I thought ‘ahh, I’m not supposed to go there,'” Clark said.
Clark’s hunch certainly didn’t lead her in the wrong direction. Instead, he ended up committing to Iowa State University, where he spent his entire four-year college career. Clark broke multiple program and NCAA records for the Hawkeyes, including the all-time scoring record among all college basketball players, men or women, in history.
Clark also met her current boyfriend, Connor McCaffery., while at Iowa. McCaffery was a player on his father and head coach Fran McCaffery’s Iowa men’s basketball team.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark hugs her boyfriend Connor McCaffery after defeating the Phoenix Mercury at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on August 16, 2024 in Indianapolis. (Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, without Clark, Notre Dame did well, but not as well as Iowa. Under the leadership of current head coach Niele Ivey, the Fighting Irish made the NCAA tournament three years in a row between 2021 and 2024, but They lost in the regional semifinal all three times, while Clark led much deeper tournaments in 2023 and 2024.
Clark led Iowa to two consecutive national championship game appearances, en route to becoming the Indiana Fever’s No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. McCaffery was already in Indiana working on the Pacers’ coaching staff, and they are still together in town, as he now works on Butler’s men’s basketball coaching staff.
Clark was named WNBA Rookie of the Year, was selected to the All-Star team, led the WNBA in assists and helped lead the fever to the playoffs in his rookie season.
Clark was also named Time Magazine’s 2024 Athlete of the Year.
