Iowa Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark has taken the college basketball world by storm with her terrific play. She and the Hawkeyes came up just short of a National Championship victory against the LSU Tigers. However, LSU head coach Kim Mulkey made her opinion of Clark very clear after the game.
While the teams were shaking hands after the game, Mulkey stopped Clark and offered some extremely high praise for her that very few players at any level receive.
Not everything that Mulkey told her was entirely legible, but she very clearly told Clark that she is “a generational player”.
"You're a generational player." 🤝
Kim Mulkey has high praise for Caitlin Clark. pic.twitter.com/Z6on9jWzZb
— espnW (@espnW) April 2, 2023
Even in a losing effort on Sunday, Clark managed to put up 30 points along with eight assists despite clearly being outmatched by a more talented LSU team.
Mulkey is certainly right in her assessment of Clark. Her performance in the NCAA Tournament this year is something that very few players have ever done.
She notably became the first Division 1 player, men or women to record a 40-point triple-double in Iowa’s Elite Eight win over Louisville.
Clark then unbelievably led Iowa to an upset win over a South Carolina team that was defending champions on a 42-game winning streak.
"The Mythical Mastery of Caitlin Clark continues."
Behind 41 from Clark, Iowa advances to the championship game against LSU. South Carolina was the defending champion and had won 42 straight. pic.twitter.com/1hBqgBq2ad
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 1, 2023
Her final numbers for this NCAA Tournament put her in some incredibly rare company. Her 193 points this year are the most by any player in the history of the NCAA Tournament.
What a tournament run for Caitlin Clark 👏
▫️Most points in an NCAA tournament (193)
▫️Most assists in a women's NCAA tournament (60)
▫️Most threes in a women's NCAA title game (8)
▫️Ended South Carolina's 42-game winning streak pic.twitter.com/Ta0npZtHIK— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 2, 2023
Clark will remain at the college level next season as she is not eligible for the upcoming 2023 WNBA Draft. However, it certainly seems like she has the talent to playing in the WNBA right away if she were allowed to.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.