Caitlin Clark discusses tracking down Elite Eight game ball: 'I told (my parents) to run, I'll get it later'
Caitlin Clark and Iowa are still dancing with an Elite Eight win over Louisville Sunday night. That victory sends the Hawkeyes to the Final Four for the first time since 1993.
In the win, Clark produced a historic triple-double with 41 points and 8 made 3-pointers. Immediately following the win, Clark was seen rushing to grab the game ball from a teammate.
FOR THE FIRST TIME 1993, IOWA IS HEADED TO THE FINAL FOUR#MarchMadness x @IowaWBB pic.twitter.com/AFx4KF4Eta
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) March 27, 2023
After the game, Clark was asked if she understood the magnitude of her performance as the time ran out. She said she did not grasp the historical context but admitted she was interested in keeping the game ball.
Clark also said she tossed the ball to her parents and told them to run:
“Not really probably, but I did want the game ball so I chucked it to my dad,” explained Clark. “I hope the NCAA — I hope they got out of the arena in time so the NCAA couldn’t chase them down. I told them to run, I’ll get it later at the hotel.”
As for the performance itself, Clark said she was just interested in playing a balanced game and doing a lot of different things to help the team win:
“I thought I played a pretty balanced game. I mean, 12 assists. That’s my teammates making shots,” Clark said. “That kind of was huge in the first half. They were kind of helping off of her, doubling onto me and she made some big shots for us… A total team effort and I pride myself on doing a lot of different things for this team.”
Sounds like Caitlin Clark tracked down another rebound and an assist after the final buzzer pic.twitter.com/Ego319PHVq
— Nathan Ford (@NathanTFord) March 27, 2023
We’ll see what Clark dials up for an encore in the Final Four. The Hawkeyes will face the winner of Monday’s South Carolina vs. Maryland matchup.