"Perfect for us to go against": Caitlin Clark has an apt reaction for gored men who challenge nation's top women hoopers

Iowa Hawkeyes star guard Caitlin Clark loves going against male basketball players. Women's college basketball teams often use male practice players to mimic the opposition’s schemes and personnel. The male players are there to help the team, and Virginia Tech head coach Kenny Brooks says they are key to their success.

“They’re essential to our success,” says Brooks to The Athletic. "We don’t have the budget that when we get rings, they do. But I wish we could. I really do. They’re that important.”

Iowa also uses male practice players and Caitlin Clark loves going up against them to prove how good she is.

“I love it,” Clark says. “They’re perfect players for us to go against.”

Clark often gets the best of the practice players, which has helped her succeed on the basketball court.

Caitlin Clark is uncertain about her future

With Caitlin Clark getting to go up against male practice players at Iowa, it has helped her become arguably the best player in the country.

Clark is averaging 32 points, 7.6 assists, and 7.1 rebounds per game and might be the first pick in the WNBA Draft in April. However, in December, Clark said that she still wasn't sure if she would declare for the draft or return for her final year.

"It’s a hard decision because, in my eyes, it’s like a win-win," Clark said, via Fox Sports. "I can go and live out a life of a dream, or I can stay [at Iowa] and be in college — start working on my master’s or start working on another degree and still play college basketball with some of my best friends. That’s what makes it so hard. Both seem so amazing."

"It's cool, though. COVID allowed me the opportunity to have this choice. I'm just trying to live in the moment. It's a big decision and I try not to get too stressed out about it," she added.

Clark is in her fourth season at Iowa and has started every game so far. The Hawkeyes are now 19-2, ranked third in the country, and are among the favorites to win the national championship.

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