"Clark went out like Kobe": Jason Whitlock draws parallels between Caitlin Clark's championship loss and late NBA legend Kobe Bryant's legacy
Media commentator Jason Whitlock has made a comparison between Iowa Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark and late NBA legend Kobe Bryant.
Despite another commanding offensive performance, Clark and the Hawkeyes fell 87-75 to the South Carolina Gamecocks in the national championship game on Sunday afternoon.
South Carolina won despite Clark scoring 30 points, becoming the first player to score at least 30 points in multiple national championship games.
Her impressive performance, despite the loss, made Whitlock draw comparisons with the late Bryant. In a tweet shortly after the game, Whitlock posted:
"Clark went out like Kobe. Guns drawn. It was fun while it lasted."
The difference here is that while Bryant spent the last years of his career chasing a sixth championship, Clark couldn't get her hands on one at the collegiate level. However, what Clark has done for the sports overall is undeniable, and her impact on the women's game will be long felt.
The Gamecocks have to be commended for shutting out Clark in key moments of the game. Another difference maker was the effort put in by South Carolina's bench, which scored several key points, while Iowa's put in zero.
Caitlin Clark reflects on her college career
Caitlin Clark is taking the loss better than many would have thought, as she's considering her entire career and not just the two games that kept her away from the title. After the loss on Sunday, she said:
"Whether it's the way the fans have supported me, the way I've been able to represent my state where I grew up, my family being at every single game -- there's not a regret in my mind of how things went, I'll be able to sleep every night even though I never won a national championship.
"I don't sit and sulk about the things that never happened. My mom always taught me, 'Keep your head high, be proud of everything that you've accomplished.' And, you know, I think I'm so hungry for a lot more, too."
Now she's headed to the WNBA, where she's expected to be the first overall pick. Is Caitlin Clark the GOAT in women's college basketball history?