Two days before Caitlin Clark hears her name called as the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, she made a surprise appearance on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” on April 13.
An hour into the live show, she joined for Weekend Update.
And, as seen in the clip above, Clark finished the segment with a grateful tone — thanking the legends who “kicked down the door so I could walk inside,” she said.
She singled out Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, Cynthia Cooper, Dawn Staley and Maya Moore — her “basketball hero.”
As the show concluded this episode, which was hosted by Ryan Gosling, Clark was joined on stage by Iowa Hawkeye teammates Kate Martin, Gabbie Marshall and Jada Gyamfi — all of whom were part of their run to the national championship game one week ago.
Before catching a private flight to New York City, the former Iowa star and future Indiana Fever guard was in Los Angeles to receive the Wooden Award — given to the most outstanding men’s and women’s college basketball players — for the second year in a row.
Purdue center Zach Edey, also the Wooden Award recipient the past two seasons, was there as well.
Clark will surely make several more promotional appearances for brands over the next few days. Then, the WNBA Draft will be held on Monday night at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
