Caitlin Clark gave Michael Che a run for his money during her “Saturday Night Live” cameo.
The 22-year-old basketball star appeared on the late night sketch comedy show during the “Weekend Update” segment on April 13 to discuss the WNBA, and dunk on the segment’s co-anchor. Figuratively, at least.
“The University of Iowa announced that basketball star Caitlin Clark will have her jersey retired and replaced with an apron,” Che said, a joke that wasn’t well received by the audience. “Well, the WNBA draft is this Monday and Iowa star Caitlin Clark is expected to be the No. 1 pick. Here to comment is Caitlin Clark.”
When Che said he was a fan of Clark, she pointed out that she had just heard his joke about her jersey being replaced with an apron, though he insisted it was just a joke.
“You make a lot of jokes about women’s sports, don’t you, Michael?” Clark asked.
When Che tried to defend himself and say he didn’t make them that often, Colin Jost interjected and said that he had actually put together a montage of some of Che’s jabs toward women’s sports over the years.
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Clark and Che came to an understanding when the comedian admitted that his basketball skills weren’t up to par with Clark’s, while she wasn’t able to tell jokes like him. However, she did surprise Che with some jokes she wrote for him to tell during the segment.
“The Indiana Fever have the first pick in this Monday’s draft,” Che said. “A reminder that Indiana Fever is a WNBA team and not what Michael Che gave to dozens of women at Purdue University.”
Clark followed it up with another joke for Che, and made it even more personal.
“Netflix’s top new show is ‘Ripley,’ featuring an eerie and unsettling performance by actor Andrew Scott,” Che said. “Critics say it’s the hardest thing to watch on Netflix since Michael Che’s special ‘Shame the Devil.’”
For her last joke for Che, she snuck in one final jab at the comedian.
“This year, Caitlin Clark broke the record for three-pointers in a single season and I have three pointers for Michael Che,” he said. “One, be. Two, funnier. Three, dumba--.”
Clark ended the segment on a sentimental note after Che wished her luck on her first season in the WNBA.
“I’m sure it will be a big first step for me, but it’s just one step for the WNBA,” she said before going on to thank several players who came before her, including Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, Cynthia Cooper, Dawn Staley, and her “basketball hero,” Maya Moore.
Clark added. “These are the women that kicked down the door so I could walk inside, so I want to thank them tonight for laying down the foundation.”
The NCAA star then gifted Che “a souvenir” since he was such a big fan. She presented him with a pink apron signed by none other than herself.
Clark has propelled women’s college basketball to the mainstream this year, including making headlines for becoming the all-time leading scorer — male or female — in the NCAA Division I history and ending her season with 3,951 points and 1,144 assists.
After her historic season, Clark’s jersey was retired by her college after the season came to a close following an 87-75 defeat by the South Carolina Gamecocks in the NCAA women’s championship final. The game also made history, marking the the first time that more viewers tuned in for the women’s final than the men’s.
As for Clark’s future in the sport, she is projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft on April 15 in New York, with the season officially kicking off on May 14.
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