Patrick Mahomes says Iowa’s Clark will ‘dominate’ the WNBA

Caitlin Clark’s on-court exploits over her four seasons at Iowa have earned her countless fans in the Hawkeye State and beyond, particularly as she continues her push to become the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I women’s basketball.

One of those fans just happens to be the reigning NFL MVP.

At a news conference Tuesday ahead of Super Bowl 58 on Sunday, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes expressed his admiration for Clark when asked a question about the Hawkeyes superstar.

“You can tell she loves the game,” Mahomes said. “She loves playing at Iowa. She’s going to be one of the best college basketball players to ever play and then go to the WNBA and dominate there, as well.”

The two have met, as Clark – a West Des Moines native who grew up a Chiefs fan – has been spotted at Kansas City games, including a Christmas Day contest in 2023 when she swapped jerseys with wide receiver Rashee Rice.

Mahomes lamented the fact he might not get the opportunity to watch Clark break Kelsey Plum’s career scoring record, as Iowa’s game at Nebraska on Sunday tips off 5 1⁄2 hours before the Super Bowl is set to kick off. Clark is 66 points away from passing Plum, and Iowa plays Thursday at home against Penn State.

With Clark averaging 32.4 points per game this season, it seems likely, if not certain, that she’ll break the record in the next two or three games.

At least some of Mahomes’ respect comes from being a basketball player himself growing up. As a senior at Whitehouse High School in Texas, the 6-foot-3 Mahomes averaged 19 points and eight rebounds per game. Still, for as much as he reveres Clark, that doesn’t mean he’d want to play against her.

“Hopefully I never have to play her one-on-one because she’ll for sure be getting buckets on me,” Mahomes said.