“I’ll definitely be hit with a wave of emotion” - $3.2M NIL-valued Caitlin Clark opens up about mental space ahead of national championship game

Caitlin Clark is the biggest names in women's college basketball right now. But as all good things come to an end, the last 40 minutes of her college career aren't that far away.

Clark has led the Iowa Hawkeyes to their second straight college women's basketball national championship game this year. Win or lose, it will be the final time that the fans will be seeing her in Iowa colors. On Saturday, she opened up about her mental space considering it is time to say goodbye.

Here is what Caitlin Clark said about the emotions she will be going through once the buzzer hits zero on Sunday.

“I think once the buzzer hits zero, whether we win or whether we lose, I’ll definitely be hit with a wave of emotion, especially over the course of the next week, as things kind of change in my life quite a bit,” CNN quoted her as telling reporters on Saturday.

Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

The $3.2 million NIL-valued (according to On3) also said that while she knows it is the end of her college career, she can't go into the game thinking much about it. According to Clark, that will hinder her performance and she won't be able to give her best performance on the court.

All that remains to be seen is whether the point guard’s sendoff to the WNBA will be as a national champion or if she will fall short for the second straight year.

---

Caitlin Clark and her real motive behind declaring for the WNBA draft

Caitlin Clark could have very well returned to Iowa to play another year for the Hawkeyes. But she decided to forgo her senior year and declare for the 2024 WNBA draft.

In an interview with the Big Ten Network in March, before March Madness began, she talked about what drove her to make that big decision.

“It was definitely a really hard decision,” Clark said. “And I think the biggest thing for myself was I felt like I’m just kind of ready for a new challenge. And I feel like my game has developed enough to where I can play in the WNBA. Obviously, there’s going to be things for me to learn, and that’s what’s so exciting."

The only accomplishment that Clark hasn't won until now is a national title. Will she add that feather to her cap on Sunday?