Former Notre Dame women's basketball coach Muffet McGraw revealed details of Caitlin Clark's departure from her program during the 2019 recruiting process.
McGraw appeared on the “Good Game with Sara Spain” podcast on Tuesday and said that if Clark sticks to his commitment to Notre Dame, McGraw could still coach at Notre Dame. spoke. McGraw retired from coaching in April 2020, just months before Clark's freshman year.
“If Caitlin Clark came to Notre Dame, I might still be coaching her,” McGraw said.
McGraw said he received a verbal commitment from Clark to play at Notre Dame, but it didn't feel like a sure thing.
“She made a promise to us, but when she decided, it felt like it was kind of a soft promise, because she couldn't and couldn't make a decision. '' McGraw said. “And finally she said, 'I want to go.' But it wasn't like, 'I'm going!' I was like, “I made the decision.” ”
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Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw reacts on the sideline against UConn during the Women's Final Four on April 5, 2019 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. (Jacen Binlove-USA Today Sports)
Then, after a tense and dramatic wait, McGraw realized she wouldn't be able to meet Clark, who announced her move to Iowa on Nov. 12, 2019.
“Then we kept waiting for her to announce, because you know, we're not allowed to announce anything. The players have to announce themselves. '' McGraw said. “So, she announced it quite a while after that, and I kept saying, 'When is it coming out?' And then when she announced she was going to Iowa, of course she called me. He informed me.”
McGraw's retirement comes five months after it was revealed he would no longer coach Clark and immediately after the 2019-20 season, ending a 33-year career that included two national championships in 2001 and 2018. I put an end to my life.
McGraw went on to say that Clark leaving his program in favor of Iowa State was “probably a pretty good decision.”
Clark used to told ESPN She revealed that her own family wanted 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 your own decision. But it's Notre Dame! 'Rudy' was one of my favorite movies. Why didn't you choose Notre Dame? Is it?”
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Iowa State guard Caitlin Clark cheers during the Big Ten Women's Basketball Championship game against Nebraska at Target Center in Minneapolis on March 10, 2024. (Angelina Katsanis/Star Tribune via Getty Images)
Clark then spoke about his experience visiting. notre dame cathedral In an interview on the New Heights podcast on January 2nd, he talked about considering playing for the Fighting Irish. She said her decision not to play for the Fighting Irish ultimately came down to instinct.
“I felt it in my gut. I thought, 'Oh, I shouldn't go there,'” Clark said.
“Very early on in my college recruiting process, I knew I wanted to be home in the Midwest. I'm a family person and wanted to be close to home, so I narrowed it down quite a bit. is falling.”
Clark then played all four years of his college career with the Hawkeyes, breaking multiple program and NCAA records, including the all-time scoring record for a college basketball player, male or female.
Clark also met her current boyfriend, Connor McCaffrey., While in Iowa. McCaffery played on the Iowa men's basketball team for his father, head coach Fran McCaffery.
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Caitlin Clark dribbles down the court at the All-Iowa Attack Basketball Fieldhouse on April 22, 2017 in Ames, Iowa. (Luke Lu/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Notre Dame was OK without Clark, but not as good as Iowa. Under the leadership of current head coach Neale Ivey, the Fighting Irish made three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 2021 to 2024, but lost in the regional semifinals all three times, while Clark made it to the NCAA Tournament in 2023 and 2024. In 2015, he achieved even deeper results in tournaments.
Clark led Iowa to its second straight National Championship Game appearance and was on his way to being selected No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever in the 2024 WNBA Draft. McCaffery already worked on the Pacers' coaching staff in Indiana and currently works on Butler's men's basketball coaching staff, and they still work together in the city.
Clark was named the WNBA Rookie of the Year, made the All-Star team, and led the WNBA in assists, helping lead the team in assists. fever In his rookie season, he made it to the playoffs.
Clark was also named Time Magazine's 2024 Athlete of the Year.
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