Caitlin Clark smiling at press conference

Caitlin Clark (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Caitlin Clark’s college career is officially over, and she was understandably emotional about it.

Caitlin Clark’s final game for Iowa ended in heartbreak at the national championship as the Hawkeyes suffered an 87-75 defeat against the top-seeded South Carolina Gamecocks at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio.

Clark, the all-time leading scorer in the college game, scored 30 points and passed Chamique Holdsclaw as the all-time leading scorer in the NCAA Tournament.

She was emotional after the game but held in her tears while speaking to reporters. By the time she got back to the locker room, her emotions likely boiled over as she posted on her Instagram story, writing, “I’ll miss ya,” and added a string of yellow hearts. Clark’s shoe and No. 22 jersey were ceremoniously laid out on the floor.

The Hawkeye program has Caitlin Clark to thank for having them soar to new heights the past few seasons, as did women’s basketball as a whole.

Despite an NCAA title eluding Clark in the past two seasons, she received massive praise from South Carolina coach Dawn Staley after playing her final collegiate game.

“I want to personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport. She carried a heavy load for our sport and it just is not going to stop here on the collegiate tour, but when she is the number one pick in the WNBA Draft, she’s going to lift that league up as well,” Staley said, via Fox News. “Caitlin Clark, if you’re out there, you are one of the GOATs of our game and we appreciate you.”

Caitlin Clark ends her college career going down in history as she leaves the college ranks with two national Player of the Year honors and led the Hawkeys to three Big Ten Tournament titles. She was named the Big Ten Player of the Year three times and holds the NCAA scoring record with 3,951 points.

No Women’s College Basketball Player Has Had Hype Like Caitlin Clark & That Bodes Well For The WNBA

Caitlin Clark (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Caitlin Clark, the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer, will enter the 2024 WNBA draft on April 15 with a ton of individual achievements and the biggest hype that no woman has ever seen before her.

The Hawkeyes star prepares for the next stage of her basketball career, which will likely begin when the Indiana Fever selects her with the No. 1 pick in the draft.

If she can turn her stout college career into an incredible WNBA career, the league will benefit in every way possible now and in the future.