Growing up in the Midwest, Caitlin Clark, like many young athletes, was in awe of Notre Dame sports.
During an interview on the “New Heights” podcast, the WNBA phenom shared her experience visiting Notre Dame and considering playing for the Fighting Irish.
“As 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.”
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University of Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark, #22, cheers with teammates near the end of the game against the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers at the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Championship at Target Center on Sunday, March 10, 2024 in Minneapolis. (Angelina Katsanis/Star Tribune via Getty Images)
In a previous interview with ESPN, Clark mentioned being recruited by former Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw and her family’s desire for 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 were like, you make the decision for yourself. But it’s NOTRE DAME! ‘Rudy’ was one of my favorite movies. How could you not pick Notre Dame?”
Despite the strong pull towards Notre Dame, Clark revealed on Thursday that she chose not to play there due to a feeling she had in her gut.
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Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, #22, reacts to a call during a game between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky on Saturday, June 1, 2024 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. ( IndyStar-USA TODAY Sports)
“I could feel it in my gut, I was like ‘ahh, I’m not supposed to go there,'” Clark said.
Clark’s intuition proved to be right as she chose to attend the University of Iowa instead, where she had a remarkable college career breaking numerous records and leading the team to success.
During her time at Iowa, Clark met her current boyfriend, Connor McCaffery, who was a player on Iowa’s men’s basketball team and is now a coach at Butler.
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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 via Getty Images)
While Notre Dame had moderate success without Clark, Iowa thrived under her leadership, making deep tournament runs. Clark went on to be drafted as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever.
Clark’s outstanding performance in the WNBA earned her the Rookie of the Year title and a selection to the All-Star team. She also led the league in assists and helped the Fever reach the playoffs.
Clark’s achievements were recognized by Time magazine, naming her Athlete of the Year for 2024.
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