Giving Caitlin Clark and Iowa bulletin board materials is never a good idea.
West Virginia coach Mark Kellogg was simply trying to push his squad against top-seeded Iowa, not poke the bear — in this case, Caitlin Clark, the best player in women’s basketball. Kellogg’s “let’s win one and then send Caitlin Clark packing” statement on Selection Sunday, spoken in front of program fans and players, was not intended to go viral, but it did.
Kellogg pulled back his words this week, before of Monday night’s NCAA Tournament second-round game against Iowa.
“I am not a trash talker…” I wasn’t trying to acquire Caitlin Clark. “It’s not Mark Kellogg versus Caitlin Clark,” Kellogg said. “Someone else in the room said the ‘packing’ line to me, and it turned into, ‘Well, guys, if we want to do something special, we have to win one and then send Caitlin Clark home.'” You understand how social media works. The tape kept getting shorter and shorter, and near the end, Mark Kellogg was calling out Caitlin Clark.”
Kellogg’s players were clearly encouraged by his confidence level.
“It definitely fired me up,” West Virginia player Jordan Harrison admitted. “I want a coach like that, who won’t back down from anyone. I’m only here to back him up. I don’t believe anyone in the NCAA wants to play us. We want to make a statement and create some history. “They are under a lot of pressure.”
Clark stated this week that the women’s tournament is attracting more viewers than the men’s — and she is correct in terms of year-over-year growth.
Clark helped the top-seeded Hawkeyes overcome a poor start to end with 27 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds in their opening round victory over Holy Cross, and she discussed the national spotlight after the game, as well as the influence new fans have had on women’s basketball.
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