“I’ll miss ya” - $3.3M NIL-valued Caitlin Clark bids farewell to Iowa jersey after devastating loss against Dawn Staley’s South Carolina

Caitlin Clark's final game for Iowa ended in heartbreak at the national championship. The Hawkeyes suffered an 87-75 defeat against the top-seeded South Carolina (38-0) in the postseason finale at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio.

Soon after the game, Clark, who has NIL deals worth $3.3 million as per On3, took to her Instagram story to post a farewell message to Iowa. She uploaded an image of her iconic No. 22 Iowa black and gold jersey and her shoe in the dressing room, with a message that read:

"I'll miss ya"

Image via caitlinclark22 Instagram

Notably, this was Iowa's second consecutive national championship defeat. Clark's Hawkeyes reached the title game last season but lost to the LSU Tigers at the final hurdle.

Despite an NCAA title eluding Clark, she received massive praise from South Carolina coach Dawn Staley after playing her final collegiate game.

“I want to personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport. She carried a heavy load for our sport and it just is not going to stop here on the collegiate tour, but when she is the number one pick in the WNBA Draft, she’s going to lift that league up as well,” Staley said. “Caitlin Clark, if you’re out there, you are one of the GOATs of our game and we appreciate you.”

Clark ended her collegiate career with two national Player of the Year honors and led the Hawkeys to three Big Ten Tournament titles. She was named the Big Ten Player of the Year three times and holds the NCAA scoring record with 3,951 points.

A look at Caitlin Clark's stats vs. South Carolina

NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament - National Championship

In her final game for Iowa, Clark scored a game-high 30 points and added eight rebounds and five assists. Despite her efforts, the Hawkeyes didn't secure a win. Now, attention shifts to the WNBA draft where Clark is expected to be the top pick.