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Like many different younger athletes from the Midwest, Caitlin Clark grew up in awe of Notre Dame sports activities.
The WNBA phenom spoke about her expertise visiting Notre Dame and consideration of enjoying for the Fighting Irish throughout an interview on the “New Heights” podcast on Thursday.
“As a child, you wish to go to Notre Dame,” Clark mentioned. “It’s like the best factor on this planet, it is Notre Dame, it has that custom.”
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Clark beforehand advised ESPN that former Notre Dame ladies’s basketball coach Muffet McGraw tried to recruit her and that Clark’s circle of relatives additionally needed her to play for the preventing Irish.
“My household needed me to go to Notre Dame,” Caitlin mentioned. “At the tip of the day they have been like, you make the choice for your self. But it is NOTRE DAME! ‘Rudy’ was one in all my favourite motion pictures. How may you not decide Notre Dame?”
However, Clark mentioned Thursday that she finally made the choice to not play there due to a sense in her intestine.
CAITLIN CLARK BACKLASH TO WHITE PRIVILEGE REMARKS PROVES THERE’S ‘ISSUES WITH RACE’ IN US, WNBA GREAT SAYS
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, #22, reacts to a name throughout a recreation between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky on Saturday, June 1, 2024 at Grainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. ( IndyStar-USA TODAY Sports)
“I may really feel it in my intestine, I used to be like ‘ahh, I’m not alleged to go there,'” Clark mentioned.
Clark’s intestine feeling definitely didn’t steer her within the mistaken course. She ended up committing to her residence state college of Iowa as an alternative, the place she performed her complete four-year school profession. Clark broke a number of program and NCAA data for the Hawkeyes, together with the all-time main scoring file amongst all school basketball gamers, males or ladies, in historical past.
Clark additionally met her present boyfriend, Connor McCaffery, whereas at Iowa. McCaffery was a participant on Iowa’s males’s basketball crew for his father and head coach Fran McCaffery.
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Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark hugs her boyfriend, Connor McCaffery, after defeating the Phoenix Mercury at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Aug. 16, 2024 in Indianapolis. (Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Images)
Meanwhile, with out Clark, Notre Dame fared okay, however not practically in addition to Iowa. Under the management of present head coach Niele Ivey, the Fighting Irish made the NCAA event three years in a row from 2021-24, however they misplaced within the regional semifinal all thrice, whereas Clark led a lot deeper event runs in 2023 and 2024.
Clark led Iowa to 2 straight nationwide championship recreation appearances, en path to turning into the No. 1 total choice by the Indiana Fever within the 2024 WNBA Draft. McCaffery was already in Indiana engaged on the Pacers’ teaching employees, and they’re nonetheless within the metropolis collectively as he now works on Butler’s males’s basketball teaching employees.
Clark was named WNBA Rookie of the Year, was chosen to the All-Star crew, led the WNBA in assists, and helped lead the Fever to the playoffs in her rookie season.
Clark was additionally named Time journal’s Athlete of the Year for 2024.
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