Caitlin Clark: ‘I’ll be able to sleep at night even though I never won a national championship’

For the second time in two seasons, the Hawkeyes are the runners-up in the national championship game.

The legendary career of Caitlin Clark comes to a close without a championship. However, she believes there’s no shame in finishing in second place.

“There’s not a regret in mind of how things went. I’ll be able to sleep every night without a national championship,” Clark said.

“I think that’s the thing about everything I’ve done is there’s so much to be proud of. I don’t sit and sulk about the things that never happened.

“My mom always taught me keep your head high and be proud of everything you accomplished. I think I’m still hungry for a lot more, too.”

‘It’s been a special year’: Hawkeyes’ Caitlin Clark wins 2nd consecutive Naismith Trophy

Caitlin Clark added another Naismith Trophy to her collection and Hawkeye Headquarters was there when the Iowa star got it.

This makes it two years in a row for Clark – that hasn’t happened since 2016.

It recognizes her as the best player in women’s college basketball.

Clark got the award at a ceremony in Cleveland on Wednesday. She was the favorite going into it after her record-breaking season. Clark says it’s an honor to win again.

“Very cool to see how this has grown every time,” Clark said. “We got to get bigger and bigger rooms, so I think that just speaks to where women’s basketball is. I think it’s been a special year for women’s basketball and also to win this award is really special.”

Clark joins an exclusive list of just 10 players to win multiple Naismith player of the year awards.

“It means that you can come to Iowa and reach your dream, right?” Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder said. “I mean, when we’ve had Megan Gustafson get it, and now Caitlin twice.

It means that you can come to the University of Iowa and reach the very top levels of success and all of your dreams can really come true at Iowa.”

“Sometimes, in the past, you know, that might have been a hurdle,” associate head coach Jan Jensen said. “And I think that Megan winning it helped us get Caitlin. And then Caitlin just, you know, blew the door wide open.”

“Caitlin really does everything,” said Stanford’s Cameron Brink, who won the defensive player of the year at the event. “I think a little bit of everything. And that’s what makes her so special.

You watch her and you’re like she’s really a generational talent. So we just have to thank her; she’s brought so much to the women’s game and she’s just going to continue doing that.”

“She’s a prolific scorer, but her passing is basically her separator,” said South Carolina’s Dawn Staley, who won the Naismith coach of the year award. “And who she’s passing to is taking practice shots. These are like wide open shots.”

Of course Clark didn’t come to Cleveland just for the player of the year announcement.

Her and the Hawkeyes practice on Thursday as they prepare for a Final Four game against UConn on Friday.

Caitlin Clark shattered many records this season, gaining a special place in the eyes of basketball lovers. Yet, who thought the upcoming star’s season would end in a hard loss against the South Carolina Gamecocks?

Unfortunately, the 87-75 matchup loss also set Clark behind in the GOAT debate. As the buzz built up, Jalen Hurts, who faced a similar defeat at the final stage in 2022, took a clear stance on Clark’s GOAT status with the latest hitch.

Clark and Iowa Hawkeyes lost against the Gamecocks, who claimed their third National Title and the Final Four round redemption. Moreover, the loss also helped South Carolina emerge with an unblemished record of 38-0. Naturally, this made people question Caitlin’s legitimacy, even though she has performed incredibly well for most of the season.

Caitlin Clark’s situation made Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, Jalen Hurts, reflect on his journey, and during an interview with ESPN, he emphasized the significance of championships in building one’s legacy. Drawing from his experiences at Alabama and in the NFL, Hurts underscored the distinction between being the best and being great, stating,

“I think that is what makes the difference between the word best and great. To achieve this, everybody dreams of winning championships.”

In Jalen Hurts’ eyes, Caitlin’s talent is undeniable, but the quest for championships remains paramount.

“Your talent kind of dictates how many you need to win, but championships, it’s all about winning. That’s what everybody competes and works for.”

Caitlin Clark’s exceptional performance in the NCAA Championship game stands as a testament to her unparalleled talent. This season, she emerged as the tournament’s all-time leading scorer, surpassing legends like Maya Moore and Chamique Holdsclaw.

Furthermore, Clark’s remarkable single-quarter scoring record in the championship game made her one of the most dominant forces in women’s college basketball. Her ability to make a staggering 5.15 3-pointers per game set a new standard in NCAA history. To put this statistic into perspective, Clark made more 3-pointers this season than 60% of the teams in Division I women’s basketball.

Jalen Hurts NFL Journey in Recent Years

During the interview, Jalen Hurts was asked how losing the Super Bowl helped his career grow. The quarterback immediately claimed that the loss matured him, saying,

“It matured me… I don’t think people realize how much of a fire that lights in you… It prepares you for the standard you never want to compromise in anything that you’re doing.”

Super Bowl LVII marked another chapter in the Philadelphia Eagles’ storied history. Despite being one of the oldest teams in the NFL and boasting 28 playoff appearances, the Eagles have only clinched a Super Bowl victory once, back in 2017. In the Super Bowl LVII, they faced off against the Kansas City Chiefs but fell short as the Chiefs emerged triumphant with a 38-35 victory.

Subsequently, in the Super Bowl LVII rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs, Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles secured a hard-fought 21-17 victory. This win marked coach Andy Reid’s first loss to his former team and center Jason Kelce’s first win over his brother, Travis Kelce.

However, the Eagles’ season ended abruptly in the wild-card round of the NFC playoffs with a shocking 32-9 loss to the Buccaneers.

Philadelphia struggled offensively, going 0-11 on third and fourth downs combined and tallying only 268 total yards on ten offensive drives. This clearly shows that the team is in for a major overhaul before the 2024 season.

Jason Whitlock has blunt take on South Carolina HC Dawn Staley.

Following South Carolina’s victory over Iowa in the NCAA championship game, head coach Dawn Staley found herself in the spotlight for her postgame comments from the podium.

She thanked God for her third championship and also acknowledged the $3.4 million NIL-valued (per On3) Caitlin Clark’s contribution to promoting women’s basketball.

These comments from Staley drew criticism from Jason Whitlock, who is known for his blunt takes on his show “Fearless.”

He called Staley’s tears “crocodile tears” and pointed out that Staley could’ve supported Clark earlier in the season but she chose to remain silent until after securing the championship.

“Dawn Staley run out here, pretend like, continue this gimmick that you love god and that you know Caitlin Clark is great,” Whitlock said.

“You know how long ago Dawn Stalye could’ve told everybody, “Hey, get up off Caitlin Clark’s back”.

Do you know how long ago she could’ve done that? But she waited until after she won the championship.”

“Caitlin Clark gets abused all season, everybody’s trying to diminish her, Dawn Staley is quiet.

Now that I got my championship, now god is good… and god answers all prayers and all,” Whitlock continued.

“You was favorite long before you won your first championship, and this is your third, and that you for all these crocodile tears on your third championship.

You’re more emotional about a third championship? You’ve lost one game in two years.

Now you’re like … this is the proof of how good god is. Had you lost, what would you have said?,” he added

Indeed, Caitlin Clark faced a lot of abuse throughout her college career. Despite all that, she never stopped and broke several records to etch her name in history.

She averaged 31.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game this season.

Moreover, she also became the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer and Naismith women’s player of the year 2024 twice.

Also Read: “Caitlin Clark was basically shut down rest of the game”: Mark Jackson lauds South Carolina’s Raven Johnson following national title win over Iowa

Caitlin Clark WNBA Draft Projection Updates

After an impressive college career, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Caitlin Clark, who declared for the WNBA Draft 2024, is expected to go first overall by the Indiana Fever.

At Fever, she would team up with last year’s top choice, Aliyah Boston, who formerly played for South Carolina. This will form an excellent duo in Indianapolis. The draft is slated for April 15 in New York City.