The school of thought that Caitlin Clark would not only lose money but the notoriety that came with being a transcendent superstar in women’s college basketball was overblown (looking at you, Darren Rovell). In the days leading up to the 2024 WNBA Draft, in which she will undoubtedly be the No. 1 overall pick, the future Indiana Fever guard stopped by Saturday Night Live’s weekend update desk.
And while Clark is very much of the status of someone who would be spoofed on a comedic sketch, she nonetheless impressed with her self-assured performance alongside Michael Che.
Che’s opening joke took aim at Clark’s status as an Iowa Hawkeyes legend. He quipped that the University would retire her jersey and replace it with an apron.
Let’s just say it wasn’t the most original material.
Che later expressed his genuine admiration for Clark’s talent despite the tired joke.
“Really, Michael? Because I heard that little apron joke you did,” she said. “You make a lot of jokes about women’s sports, don’t you, Michael?”
“I wouldn’t say a lot; it’s not on the regular,” replied Che.
“Yeah, no, it’s definitely a lot,” said his co-anchor and teammate Colin Jost, who spliced together a supercut about Che making jokes about women’s sports.”
And unlike Che, Scarlett Johansson’s husband championed himself as a supporter of women.
Che jokingly confessed his basketball skills pale in comparison to Clark’s. Though she playfully ribbed him, Clark acknowledged her own limitations in comedic timing, admitting she couldn’t quite match his wit. However, she flexed her writing muscles by crafting some jokes herself.
And now it was Che’s turn to read off the jokes written for him by Clark rather than Jost.
“The Indiana Fever have the first pick in this Monday’s draft. A reminder that Indiana Fever is a WNBA team and not what Michael Che gave to dozens of women at Purdue University.”
“Netflix’s top show new show is Ripley, featuring an eery, unsettling performance by actor Andrew Scott. Critics say it’s the hardest thing to watch on Netflix since Michael Che’s special, Shame the Devil.”
“This year, Caitlin Clark broke the record for 3-pointers in a single season. And I have three pointers for Michael Che. One: be, two: funnier, three: dumb***.”
Che offered his congratulations to Clark on her next step as she embarks on her journey to the WNBA. She used the platform to thank those who came before her and laid a foundation for the sport to break the barriers and glass ceiling that the rating(s) accomplishments throughout the tournament did.
“I’m sure it’ll be a big first step for me, but it’s just one step for the WNBA,” Clark said. “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 wanted to thank them tonight for laying the foundation.”
Turning the tables on his opening joke, Clark presented Che, a huge basketball fan according to him, with a souvenir – a signed apron. Che, playing along, said he couldn’t wait to give it to his girlfriend.
“You don’t have a girlfriend, Michael,” Clark fired back.
While acting might not be her signature skill, Clark delivered a solid performance on SNL. Backed by the show’s writing team, she further solidified her off-court presence, mirroring her achievements on the court. SNL may not hold the same cultural weight as before, but her appearance wasn’t about validation. Clark’s already a pop culture icon; this was just another chance to solidify that status.
[Saturday Night Live on X]
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.