"She's the real deal": Pat McAfee can't contain his excitement as $3.1 million NIL-valued Caitlin Clark set to join Indiana Fever

The hype for Caitlin Clark continues to grow. Analyst Pat McAfee joined the likes of celebrities like Travis Scott to hail Clark for her incredible collegiate career.

The real excitement from McAfee, who spent eight seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, stems from Clark's almost guaranteed selection by the Indiana Fever in the 2024 WNBA Draft.

In a clip from his podcast, The Pat McAfee Show, the NFL superstar-turned-commentator could not contain his excitement as he gushed:

"This girl from Iowa, who he's gonna be an Indiana Fever player, and win every WNBA Championship from this season forward ... the way she has gone about doing what she's done, which is obviously historic, is stone-cold, bro."

"That's why I'm so pumped she's coming to Indianapolis. She's the real deal. She is a fun athlete to watch, man," he added.

On X, McAfee reiterated his desire for Clark - who has a reported NIL valuation of $3.1 million - to represent Indiana, with a graphic of the reported increased Indiana Fever ticket prices making it to their show:

"I am SO PUMPED that Caitlin Clark is coming to Indianapolis."

There's one last hurdle, though, left for the Hawkeyes superstar before she arrives in the WNBA: winning the Championship.

During All-Star Weekend, Kenny "The Jet" Smith refrained from crowning Clark the best collegiate women's player because of her lack of championships. Similarly, Pat's co-host, AJ, wasn't ready to give her all the flowers without seeing her performance in the tournament.

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How far could Caitlin Clark go in the NCAA Tournament?

Catilin Clark warming up

Last season's runner-ups, the Iowa Hawkeyes have been just as dominant this season. With their victory over Ohio State in their final game of the regular season, Iowa surpassed them in the betting odds to finish third in the rankings.

At first, unsurprisingly, are the South Carolina Gamecocks, who ended the year with an unprecedented 29-0 undefeated record. Coming in second are last year's champions and the team to put a stop to Caitlin's momentum, Angel Reese and the LSU Tigers.

With two juggernauts ahead of them, it might take something truly special from Caitlin Clark to lead Iowa to the Championship that has eluded them. It might be a long shot, but Clark has a history of proving otherwise.

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Do you think the Iowa Hawkeyes can win the NCAA tournament? Let's know in the comments below.