Dawn Staley Thanks Caitlin Clark in Her NCAA Championship Speech for ‘Lifting Up Our Sport’

Staley called Clark "one of the GOATs of our game" after the Gamecocks defeated the Hawkeyes

• South Carolina Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley congratulated Caitlin Clark on her record-breaking season during her victory speech

• Staley said Clark "carried a heavy load for our sport" throughout the season

• The Gamecocks defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes 87-75 in the title game

After the South Carolina Gamecocks defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes to win the NCAA championship, head coach Dawn Staley took a moment during her victory speech to celebrate Caitlin Clark.

Staley, 53, said, "I have to congratulate Iowa on an incredible season," before she shouted out Clark, 22, specifically during her speech at the podium.

"I want to personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport," the head coach continued.

"She carried a heavy load for our sport, and it just isn’t gonna stop here on the collegiate tour, but when she's the number one pick in the WNBA draft she's going to lift that league up as well."

Staley, who won her third national championship on Sunday, added, "So Caitlin Clark, if you're out there you are one of the GOATS of our game and we appreciate you."

After the win, the Gamecocks became the first team to have completed a perfect season since UConn in 2016, per NBC News.

Clark finished the championship game with 30 points, eight rebounds and five assists in Iowa's 87-75 loss to South Carolina.

On April 15, she will be drafted into the WNBA, and it's expected that the NCAA's all-time leading scorer will be selected first overall by the Indiana Fever.

Before her kind words about Clark, Staley spoke about what the championship win means for her Gamecocks after they finished their season undefeated.

Related: Caitlin Clark's Boyfriend Shares Sweet Message After She Loses NCAA Championship Game: 'My GOAT'

"They made history. They etched their names in the history books when this is the unlikeliest group to do it," Staley told ESPN's Holly Rowe after the win.

"God is funny like that. He's funny. He rips your heart out and he makes you believe. He makes you believe the unimaginable," the coach added.

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As her team celebrated on the court, Staley said, "I'm so incredibly happy for our players. It doesn't always end like you want it to end, much like last year, but my freshies are at the top of my heart because they wanted this."

Last year, Staley and the Gamecocks were eliminated by Clark and the Hawkeyes in the Final Four round. "I hope we can erase whatever pain they had last year experiencing not being able to finish it here," she told Rowe.

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