Caitlin Clark effect: MN man thanks basketball star.
The Caitlin Clark effect: A Minnesota doctor, who is a father of two daughters, wrote a thank you note to the basketball star. FOX 9’s Kelly O’Connell has the story.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A Minnesota doctor, who is a father of two daughters, wrote a thank you note to basketball star Caitlin Clark, thanking her for helping him be a better dad.
Iowa’s Caitlin Clark is considered to be one of the greatest college basketball players in history. She is the all-time leading scorer in the NCAA. She and the Iowa Hawkeyes are in town for the Women’s Big Ten Tournament.
Before she hits the court on Friday, one local doctor, and father of two daughters, wrote a “Thank You” note to the basketball player.
“Dear Caitlin Clark,
“If you read this, I want to say thank you.
“Thank you for being an electrifying, transcendent athlete who is actively changing the world of sport. But mostly, thank you for helping me be a better dad,” reads Dr. Asitha Jayawardena, a pediatric ear, nose and throat surgeon at Children’s Minnesota.
Jayawardena’s op-ed in the Star Tribune went viral almost the moment it hit the website. He says he’s heard from dads and daughters all over the country, saying they too have connected over Clark.
Dr. Jayawardena calls Clark his “cheat code” when it comes to connecting with his oldest daughter. Not only have they gone to games together, but they will watch her play on TV, and it’s something they both love to do together.
Father thanks Caitlin Clark for inspiring daughter
A father is thanking Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark for helping him grow a closer bond with his daughter.
The family plans to go see Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes play Friday in the tournament, as they take on either Penn State or Wisconsin.
Clark has said this will be her final season at Iowa, as she plans to enter the 2024 WNBA draft. She is expected to be the No. 1 pick.
HOT NEWS:
DEION SANDERS’ EPIC MOTIVATIONAL SPEECH FOR CAITLIN CLARK AHEAD OF MARCH MADNESS
Deion Sanders couldn’t have said his Caitlin Clark pep talk any better!
As Caitlin Clark prepares to lead the Iowa women’s basketball team in March Madness, Colorado football head coach Deion Sanders delivered some pep talk for the legendary college hooper.
While appearing as a guest on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” Sanders was asked to give some motivational speeches to the cardboard cutouts that the host would present. One of those cutouts were of Clark, and the Buffaloes tactician made sure to give it his best talk.
“Caitlin, baby girl, let me tell you something. We’re coming down the home stretch. This is going to be your last dance. And guess what? I need you to finish strong. I don’t care what they said about the WNBA. I know what you’re capable of. I want you to go out there and lead like you’ve never led before. I want you to go dominate like you’ve never dominated before. Unapologetically, I want you to be you,” Sanders said.
.@DeionSanders gives pump up speeches to cardboard cutouts of @JasonKelce, @CaitlinClark22 and @TheRock 🤣 pic.twitter.com/PupqX70wuI
— The Tonight Show (@FallonTonight) March 15, 2024
It certainly couldn’t get any better than that. And Coach Prime definitely said it in a way that he only could. Deion Sanders is widely regarded as one of the better coaches in college football today, and aside from his experience, the way he motivates his players and rallies them make him different from other coaches.
While it’s unknown if Caitlin Clark has already seen the video, she might want to give it a look before the NCAA Tournament starts.
Caitlin Clark, Iowa women’s basketball eyeing big prize
For what it’s worth, Caitlin Clark herself said before that she is focused on helping the Iowa women’s basketball team to be the last team standing in the women’s division of March Madness.
Clark is already playing her last year with the Hawkeyes after declaring for the WNBA Draft, but before she leaves, the NCAA leading scorer for both men and women has her eyes set on the big prize.
The 22-year-old said as much after they won the Big Ten title against Nebraska, highlighting his belief that the Hawkeyes have what it takes to win it all.
“I think our group knows well enough that the NCAA Tournament is the best postseason tournament in all of sports. If you don’t have it for one night, your season’s over in the blink of an eye. We’re really only guaranteed one more game as a team, so you’ve got to come in and prepare every single day like it’s your last. I know this team will do that,” Clark said via New York Post.
Iowa is expected to get the no. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament that starts late next week. Sure enough, Deion Sanders and the rest of the Hawkeyes faithful will have their eyes glued on television to watch Clark attempt to make more history.
HOT NEWS:
A STUDY SHOWS WHERE LSU’S KIM MULKEY RANKS AMONG THE NATION’S HIGHEST PAID COACHES
LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey is the highest paid coach in all of women’s basketball, according to a study released by USA Today this week.
Mulkey edges out Connecticut’s Geno Auriemma and Dawn Staley of South Carolina with a total salary of $3,264,000 this season. Both Auriemma and Staley check in at $3.1 million.
Texas coach Vic Schaefer is the only other women’s basketball coach to make over $2 million at $2.3.
USA Today’s study shows that there are 18 women’s basketball coaches who make at least $1 million.
Mulkey has a maximum bonus of $750,000 and received $443,000 in bonuses for the 2022-23 season. The school buyout on Mulkey’s contract is $2 million.
What is Kim Mulkey’s salary as LSU women’s basketball coach?
Kim Mulkey guided LSU women’s basketball to its first NCAA championship in program history last season in her second season in Baton Rouge.
Now, she’s the highest-paid coach in women’s college basketball this season with a total salary of $3.264 million at LSU. It is to be noted that private institutions are not required to provide coaching contracts, so for coaches such as Tara VanDerveer at Stanford, it’s unclear what they make.
Mulkey signed a new 10-year contract following last season’s national championship and the 61-year-old coach is scheduled by the end of it to make $3.65 million by 2032-33. Her previous deal was for $2.5 million per season and ran through the 2028-29 campaign.
UConn’s Geno Auriemma and South Carolina’s Dawn Staley are right behind Mulkey in compensation, both making $3.1 million this season, per USA Today’s Basketball Coaching Salary database.
Texas coach Vic Shaefer, who coached Mississippi State to two NCAA title runner-up finishes in back-to-back seasons in 2017 and 2018 and Maryland’s Brenda Frese, who guided the Terrapins to the national championship back in 2006, round out the top five in coaching salaries at $2.3 million and $1.88 million, respectively.