"Congrats GOAT Grad": Fans react to Caitlin Clark's wholesome graduation surprise before Indiana training camp

Caitlin Clark graduated from the University of Iowa's Tippie College of Business with a bachelor's degree in marketing. However, she could not attend the graduation ceremony in person on Saturday due to her commitments in the WNBA.

To make up for it, Clark's Indiana Fever teammates surprised her with a "Certificate of Graduation" before training camp. Aliyah Boston even presented the former Hawkeye with a mock-up Certificate of Graduation.

Excited fans took to the comments to leave a message for the guard and one said:

"Congrats GOAT Grad👩🏻‍🎓🫡👏📚🏀 #HawkeyePride. "

"That just tell me she’s dead serious bout this season to skip graduation to get ready for opening night," another fan commented.

"A degree in Marketing. They'll be teaching her story in Marketing classes for decades," one user said.

Some fans appreciated the team and her fellow players' efforts.

"Acting like a TEAM! Always!," one wrote.

"These women are going to protect their rookie. It’s beautiful to see," another commented.

Meanwhile, a few fans believed that Caitlin Clark should have attended the ceremony and questioned the league's capacity to adjust schedules accordingly.

"Aaawww, that's cool that you brought her degree; but the W could make scheduling changes for situations like this. She should have been AT her graduation," one user wrote.

Caitlin Clark maintained the balance between sports and academics

Despite her packed basketball schedule in college, Caitlin Clark ensured that she did not miss her classes. As per the college website, she graduated with a 3.64 GPA and was named the Academic All-America Team Member of the Year by the College Sports Communicators for the third time in a row.

An example of Clark's diligence is from last year. During the spring semester, the then-junior had her midterm exam for the Marketing Research class a day after the Big Ten tournament in the neighboring state of Minneapolis. Rather than requesting to reschedule, Clark showed up on time.

Hyeong-Tak Lee, the professor who took the Marketing Research class, said:

"She never acted like someone who was a celebrity and winning a lot of national awards. She’s humble, personable, and a good person. The person you see in interviews, a smart, funny, team player who deflects attention from herself, is the same person I see in class." (via tippie.uiowa.edu)

Clark will make her WNBA regular-season debut on Tuesday against Connecticut Sun.

What do you think of Caitlin Clark's academic achievements? Let us know in the comment section below.