Caitlin Clark appears on SNL and thanks South Carolina’s Dawn Staley ahead of WNBA draft

Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark made a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live, joining Weekend Update hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che.

Clark playfully called out Che for his previous women’s basketball jokes but ended the skit on a serious note, thanking all the women’s basketball legends that played before her, ahead of the 2024 WNBA draft.

“I’m sure it will be a big first step for me but it is just one step for the WNBA,” Clark said. “Thanks to all the great players like Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, Cynthia Cooper, the great Dawn Staley and my basketball hero, Maya Moore.”

After Iowa lost to South Carolina for the national championship on April 7, Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley recognized the work of Clark’s game and her impact on the college basketball season.

Both Clark and South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso will be at the WNBA draft on Monday in New York.