Dick Vitale weighs in on historic Caitlin Clark performance

Caitlin Clark (Kent) is the closest thing to a superhero college basketball has. Her 41-point performance against South Carolina in the Final Four Friday night was nothing short of awe-inspiring.

The basketball world has been reeling since her Iowa Hawkeyes knocked off South Carolina to halt the reigning national champion’s winning streak at 42. ESPN’s Dick Vitale joined the party, praising Clark for her incredible accomplishments in the face of the Goliath Gamecocks.

“Wow UPSET CITY – as @IowaWBB gives @GamecockWBB their 1st L & advance to the Finals of @MarchMadnessWBB,” Vitale wrote on Twitter. “The incomparable @CaitlinClark22  sparked the W with her dazzling talents, Caitlin had 41 & clearly is the best player in the nation in Women’s basketball.”

Not only did Clark score at will against South Carolina, but she added eight assists and either scored or assisted on every Iowa point in the fourth quarter. The Gamecocks ended the game with a monster rebounding edge, winning 49-25 and nearly doubling up Iowa in the Final Four contest. Caitlin Clark was the difference.

As always, she was humble in celebration following Friday’s historic upset.

“All that matters is that we won at the end of the day,” Clark said on the broadcast. “The scoreboard says that the Iowa Hawkeyes won. That’s exactly what we did.”

Clark’s insane outing against South Carolina wasn’t even her most impressive performance of the tournament. In the Elite Eight against Louisville, she turned in the first 40-point triple-double in men’s or women’s tournament history with 41 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists.

That’s nothing new for Clark, though. She averaged 27.3 points, 8.6 assists and 7.3 rebounds per game this season and was recently awarded the Naismith Player of the Year Award for the 2022-23 season. Now, she’s one win away from adding ‘national champion’ to her list of accomplishments as well.

“All we did was believe in each other,” Clark said about her team after the win. “We might not be the tallest. We knew they were going to beat us on the glass, but all we had to do was have some heart and some belief. And we just came through when we needed big plays. I’m just so proud of this group, man.”

The Hawkeyes advance to take on LSU in the national championship game. The Hawkeyes and Tigers will tip-off Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on ABC. Iowa has opened as a three-point favorite, per Caesars Sportsbook.