Caitlin Clark might be gearing up for her third WNBA season at the moment, but she's also hooked onto the March Madness and why not. Being a former college basketball star, it's hard for the Indiana Fever guard to keep herself away from the action in the ongoing NCAA Tournament.
While everyone's seeing UConn as the likely contender for the championship, after their last year's triumph, it seems Clark has got a different perspective and thoughts.
Speaking during a recent event in Miami, held by Uber on March 24, the 24-year-old revealed her personal take on who could be the ultimate champion of 2026 March Madness while also making her wish for a "magical story".
When asked for her prediction, Clark admitted, "On the women's side, probably UConn. I think that's probably the consensus around the country. They've dominated the entire season." The Connecticut Huskies won their 12th national championship last year, defeating South Carolina 82-59. This season, they are once again expected to clinch a second straight trophy. They have already made it to the Sweet 16 this week.
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More than the likely contenders to emerge victorious, however, Caitlin Clark hopes to witness a Cinderella story on the side of women's basketball. It's been a while since a mid-major program made history during March Madness. The last time it happened was in 2022 when No.10 South Dakota beat No.2 Baylor Bears. In the Round of 32, the Coyotes stunned the Bears 61-47 and advanced to their first Sweet 16 in program history.
Clark feels there's a need for an underdog moment and that the tournament must witness a shocking result leading into the Final Four. Explaining her point she said, "I do really hope there's an upset of some sort. I think that really gets fan engagement up and gets people excited and talking about the game. We had quite a few of those upsets when I was in college."
"So, I'm hoping for some sort of, you know, you kind of like that magical story of somebody reaching the Final Four that nobody really thought would and then everybody kind of rallies around them."
Interestingly, Clark's hope eventually turned out to be true in the ongoing NCAA Tournament itself. A day before she expressed her wish to see an upset, her own former college basketball team crashed out of March Madness.
No.10 Virginia Cavaliers eventually pulled off a stunning victory over Clark's former team, the second seeded Iowa Hawkeyes. The underdog team won 83-75, while advancing to their first Sweet 16 since 2000.
Now it will be intriguing to see if the Cavaliers can extend their Cinderella run by making it to the Elite Eight when they face the TCU Horned Frogs on Saturday.
