Basketball is a rollercoaster ride of emotions, and even if you excel at it, there’s no guarantee of clinching a championship, as Caitlin Clark discovered during her college years.

Connor McCaffery and Caitlin Clark

South Carolina dashed Caitlin Clark’s hopes of ending her collegiate journey with an NCAA title, leaving her to ponder the outcome as she prepares for the WNBA Draft later this month. The Gamecocks emerged victorious, claiming the crown as this year’s national champions, despite Clark’s remarkable achievements.

At 22 years old, Clark, the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer across both genders, made 10 of 28 field goals, including 5 of 13 from beyond the arc, amassing a total of 3,951 points over her four-year career. Additionally, she contributed five assists in her final collegiate game.

Despite the loss, the significance of the moment was not lost as Clark’s longtime boyfriend, Connor McCaffery, took to social media to express his admiration. “My GOAT,” he wrote on his Instagram story, accompanied by a snapshot of Caitlin Clark exiting the court tunnel post-game.

Although Sunday’s defeat was a setback for the Hawkeyes, Clark’s remarkable journey to a second consecutive NCAA Championship game has undoubtedly elevated the profile of women’s basketball. Her mere presence on the court set new TV ratings records for women’s college basketball twice in the past week alone, with further records expected once the data from Sunday is tallied.

Caitlin Clark (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

While women’s college basketball bids farewell to Clark, she now embarks on a new chapter in her life with the WNBA. Despite some skepticism from older players in the league, Clark has the potential to become the Stephen Curry or Michael Jordan of the women’s professional circuit, potentially revolutionizing the direction of the WNBA. If Clark proves herself to be as exceptional, if not better, in the WNBA, the entire basketball community stands to benefit immensely.