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Caitlin Clark's high school coach 'so proud' after Iowa star's WNBA draft selection: 'Pretty surreal'
Caitlin Clark is taking her stardom to professional basketball after being selected as the number one pick in the 2024 WNBA draft.
Although it was highly anticipated that the Iowa Hawkeyes star would be the first pick, her former high school coach said it was a “pretty surreal” moment when the selection was announced.
“I think we all knew she was going to go number one, but to actually see it happen and hear her name called, is just an incredible feeling. I’m so proud of her and so happy for her,” Dowling Catholic High School basketball coach Kristin Meyer said on “Fox & Friends” Tuesday.
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Meyer was Clark’s coach during her four years of high school at Dowling, where she noted the NCAA all-time leading scorer’s talent was evident from the beginning.
“Right away, when I first saw her play in the spring before freshman year and then coaching her that summer, it was clear her court vision, her passing ability, her ability to make shots. She just stood out right from the get-go,” she said.
Caitlin Clark smiles during the 2024 WNBA Draft on April 14, 2025 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in Brooklyn, New York. (Mike Lawrence/NBAE via Getty Images)
Clark continued to stand out during her collegiate career as she mesmerized fans from across the nation.
She averaged 28.4 points over her four seasons with the Hawkeyes, including 31.6 points per game with 8.9 assists and 7.4 rebounds during her incredible 2023-2024 senior season.
She broke LSU men’s basketball legend Pete Maravich’s NCAA all-time scoring record this past season, among many other accolades, which included NCAA Tournament records on the way to a national championship run. Iowa ended up losing to undefeated South Carolina in the national final.
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Before the tournament, Meyer encouraged Clark to “enjoy the experience.”
“It was just a, ‘Good luck. Have fun. Enjoy the experience. And go win a national championship.’”
Clark finished her career with a total of 3,951 points, including 548 three-pointers made on 1,452 attempts for a 37.7% mark from beyond the arc.
Meyer noted while Clark has risen to fame for her competitive side, she has a “fun personality” and “loves to have fun” off the court.
“We had a little free time before a game, and, I went to go do some coaching. I come back, and she’s doing karaoke on the microphone. And the entire gym was an empty gym besides just her teammates,” Meyer recalled.
“But that’s the type of fun personality she has. She’s very competitive on the court, but off the court, she just loves to have fun and loves life.”
Meyer noted the story of Clark dreaming in second grade about going on to play in college and in the WNBA.
“That’s pretty incredible that she set that goal as a second-grader and she put in the work to achieve it,” Meyer said.
“I think a lot of people dream some really big dreams, but to actually put in the work, to make your dreams come true is incredible.”
Fox News’ Scott Thompson contributed to this report.
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One of Michigan State football’s leaders for the last few years has found a landing spot in the NFL. MSU safety Malik Spencer will be joining Michigan State center in the nation’s capital, signing with the Washington Commanders as an undrafted free agent.
We knew that there was interest in Spencer from the NFL clubs, as the Patriots hosted him for a 30 visit before the NFL Draft. Instead, it was the Commanders who swooped in and grabbed the former Spartan.
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Spencer was a four-year letterwinner with MSU and started in 29 games at safety, recording 173 career tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks, and two interceptions.
The Commanders must have had some scouts around the MSU program, as they also used draft capital to bring in center Matt Gulbin, and now will add Spencer to their defense.
Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Andrew Brewster on Twitter @IAmBrewster.
This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Michigan State safety signing UDFA deal with Washington Commanders
Minnesota Timberwolves lose key contributor for rest of playoffs due to major injury originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The good news for the Minnesota Timberwolves is that they were able to pull out a 112-96 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night to take a 3-1 lead in the first-round series between the teams.
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The bad news for the Wolves is that they lost a key contributor in the process.
Donte DiVincenzo out for rest of playoffs after suffering torn Achilles
Starting guard Donte DiVincenzo suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Game 4, and he’ll miss the rest of the postseason as a result. He’ll also miss a huge chunk, if not all, of the 2026-27 NBA season as a result of the injury.
It’s an extremely unfortunate break for a guy who was extremely durable for Minnesota during the regular season. DiVincenzo was so durable, in fact, that he started in all 82 games for the Wolves over the course of the campaign.
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In addition to DiVincenzo, the Timberwolves also lost star guard Anthony Edwards during their Game 4 victory. Edwards exited the game with an apparent knee injury and never returned. He’s set to undergo testing on the knee, and his status moving forward is in question at this point. An update on Edwards should be provided in short order.
With DiVincenzo, and possibly Edwards, sidelined for the foreseeable future, guys like Ayo Dosunmu and Bones Hyland will likely see their roles increase exponentially.
The Wolves need just one more win to eliminate Denver and advance to the Western Conference semifinals where they would meet the winner of the series between the San Antonio Spurs and Portland Trail Blazers.
More NBA news:
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department said a shooting occurred Saturday on Chestnut Avenue.
One person was hit by gunfire and taken to an area hospital.
The victim was listed in critical condition as of 2:42 p.m. Saturday, per KCPD.
This story will be updated once additional information is provided.
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If you have any information about a crime, you may contact your local police department directly. But if you want or need to remain anonymous, you should contact the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com. Depending on your tip, Crime Stoppers could offer you a cash reward.
Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.
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