When Dawn Staley called Caitlin Clark the greatest of her time: “I don’t want to ruffle anybody’s feathers”

Dawn Staley and Caitlin Clark will go down in history as women's college basketball icons. The South Carolina coach paid the ultimate compliment to the Iowa Hawkeyes star during a guest appearance on the "Dan Patrick Show" on March 20.

A few weeks later, the Gamecocks faced the Hawkeyes in the national championship game, with South Carolina clinching its third NCAA title. Before that showdown, Staley shared her opinion about Clark with Patrick, triggering a debate among college hoops fans.

Patrick asked Staley to explain Caitlin Clark to him.

"How do I explain? I think she’s the greatest of her time now,” Staley said (Timestamp 4:46). "I don’t want to ruffle anybody’s feathers, but I also don’t want to, you know, we got a rich history of women’s basketball.

"We have a player in Breanna Stewart, who won four national titles, and you cannot forget about all the contributors to our game. Caitlin Clark has brought a lot of eyes to our game, and I’m really grateful for her talent.

"I do think she’s incredible, remarkable, eye-catching. I mean, she’s got great IQ, so I got to give it to her. She is definitely a woman that continues to grow our game."

Dawn Staley said she's a fan of Clark for being a great ambassador of the sport.

"I’m a basketball enthusiast. I love her. I love what she’s doing for the game," Staley said (Timestamp 6:18). "I love it when she hits logo 3s. I love it when she hits game-winning shots. All that is tremendous.

"I spent a lot of time watching Big Ten basketball because of her, and that’s got to be a lot of responsibility and a lot of pressure for her, and she’s handled it incredibly well."

Dawn Staley and Caitlin Clark's Final Four battles

Dawn Staley and Caitlin Clark squared off just twice, with both of those games happening in the Final Four stage of the NCAA Tournament.

They first locked horns in 2023, with the Iowa Hawkeyes beating the South Carolina Gamecocks in the semifinal. Clark led Iowa to a 77-73 victory, scoring 41 points to end South Carolina's 42-game winning streak.

Caitlin Clark of the Iowa Hawkeyes drives against Brea Beal of the South Carolina Gamecocks during the fourth quarter of their 2023 Final Four semifinal game on March 31, 2023, in Dallas, Texas. Photo: Getty

Dawn Staley gained revenge the following year, with South Carolina beating Iowa 87-75 in the title game. The Gamecocks erased an early double-digit deficit to give Staley her third national championship and deny Clark a winning end to her illustrious college career.