Caitlin Clark will forever be considered an Iowa legend. She took the program to the Final Four twice during her four-year run with the Hawkeyes.
Before Clark joined Lisa Bluder’s program, she was committed to Notre Dame.
In ESPN’s latest docuseries, “Full Court Press,” Clark revealed that she felt pressure to commit to Notre Dame due to her upbringing and religion. As a result, she told the Fighting Irish that she’d play for them.
“It’s a lot of pressure having to choose and decide where you’re going to spend four years of your life. We’re Catholic and every person, like, idolizes Notre Dame,” Clark said, via On3. “Like, that’s just what you do. I told Muffet McGraw, one of the greatest coaches of all-time, that I’m gonna play for her.”
However, Clark quickly realized that Notre Dame wasn’t the right spot for her. It wasn’t easy, but she flipped her commitment to Iowa.
“I just knew like — something wasn’t sitting right with me,” Clark said. “So, I tell my parents and I’m like, ‘I think I’m gonna switch to Iowa.’ Which was hard, like, I was scared. I’m 17 years old and now I have to call Coach McGraw and tell her that I’m not coming. I remember sitting in my bed and I’m like sweating. I’m like, ‘Oh, this is so bad.’ But I really loved the idea of being close to home.”
That turned out to be a wise decision.
Clark finished her college career as a two-time AP Player of the Year and three-time Big Ten Player of the Year. She also had her No. 22 retired by Iowa.