Live from New York, it's Caitlin Clark on "Saturday Night Live"!
The Iowa Hawkeyes star made a surprise appearance during the show's "Weekend Update" segment alongside Michael Che and Colin Jost.
Clad in a Nike varsity jacket, Clark joined the anchors after Che made a joke referencing her jersey retirement.
"You make a lot of jokes about women's sports, don't you, Michael?" Clark asked.
Then, Jost set up a montage that displayed Che's adverse punch lines pertaining to women's basketball. The NCAA's all-time leading scorer followed up with jokes for Che, which ended with "3" pointers.
"This year, Caitlin Clark broke the record for 3-pointers in a single season and I have 3 pointers for Michael Che," he said, while reading Clark's jokes from the teleprompter. "One, be. Two, funnier. Three, dumba--."
Clark is in town for the WNBA draft, where she is projected to be selected first overall by the Indiana Fever. She ended her time on the segment by paying homage to WNBA icons, including South Carolina Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley.
Caitlin Clark (@CaitlinClark22) stopped by Weekend Update! pic.twitter.com/SSmbUcIOJl
— Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) April 14, 2024
"I'm sure it will be a big first step for me, but it's just one step for the WNBA thanks to all the great players like Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, Cynthia Cooper, the great Dawn Staley, and my basketball hero, Maya Moore. These are the women that kicked down the door so I could walk inside. So, I want to thank them tonight for laying the foundation," Clark said.
She returned at the end of the show alongside guest host Ryan Gosling and other SNL stars. Clark brought her teammates Jada Gyamfi, Gabbie Marshall and Kate Martin on stage as Gosling concluded the show with goodbyes.
The 2024 WNBA draft is on Monday (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+) at New York's Brooklyn Academy of Music.
