Saturday, October 24, 2026

Out of Her ‘Comfort Zone’: SNL Starts Caitlin Clark’s Whirlwind Draft Weekend

  • Clark’s trip to New York includes big time interviews and media appearances.
  • The WNBA draft is Monday night in Brooklyn.
Syndication: USA TODAY

Want more from Front Office Sports
in your search results?

Add Front Office Sports on Google

Caitlin Clark made her first trip to New York last spring to accept the AAU’s Sullivan Award, ESPN reported. She was only in town for a night, but wanted to see Times Square and grab a slice of pizza.

Her trip to Manhattan this weekend is much more high profile.

Her appearance on Saturday Night Live, in which she politely dragged Weekend Update anchor Michael Che for his lengthy history of jokes about women’s sports, was only the beginning of her jam-packed WNBA Draft weekend.

On Sunday, she wore a dark green suit as she sat for interviews with ESPN and The Today Show. “I don’t get nervous for basketball games,” she told NBC’s Stephanie Gosk about her SNL appearance. “But going in front of a live audience on national television, doing something outside of your comfort zone, is a little scary. My heart was pounding out of my chest.”

On Monday morning, she and fellow likely top draft pick Kamilla Cardoso from South Carolina wore signature WNBA hoodies as they flipped the switch on the Empire State Building, which will be lit orange for tonight’s draft in Brooklyn. Young fans found out Clark was there, and held up their jerseys to the window as they peered inside to see the star. The group of draft invitees made their way to the top for a photo opp. The former Hawkeye smiled next to Angel Reese, two weeks after the “Bayou Barbie” put a crown on the Iowa bench as Clark warmed up.

Monday evening, she’ll walk the orange carpet and take her seat by 7:30 p.m., where shortly after, she’s all but certain to hear her name called first by the Indiana Fever. The team posted a graphic on social media Sunday night to mark 22 hours until the draft, the same number Clark wore at Iowa.

Download the FOS App

The business of sports, in your pocket.

QR code to download the app

Scan the QR code to get the app now.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Mark Walter’s Sports Empire Shrinking Again

The Dodgers and Cadillac F1 remain in Walter’s portfolio despite other sales.

Dream Deliver Finals Atmosphere to Match State Farm Arena Move

The Dream hold a 2–1 series lead over the Valkyries.

Enes Kanter Freedom Leaves WNBA Finals Over Seating Dispute

Kanter and the team were feuding over his Game 3 seat.

NBC, USA Claim Record Audience for Start of WNBA Finals

The Finals are tied 1–1 with the series shifting to Atlanta.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

10/23/26 – JJ Watt Takes CBS Chair, FIFA Rights Shake-Up, Small-Market World Series

0:00

Featured Today

Football - NFL - Houston Texans v Jacksonville Jaguars - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - October 18, 2026 The necklace of a Jacksonville Jaguars fan outside the stadium before the match

Die-Hard Sports Fandom Has Reached the Afterlife

Will fans pay $6,000 to memorialize their team loyalty?
October 20, 2026

Why Europe Is Pumping Out NBA Superstars

The NBA and NCAA have an increasingly European flavor.
October 15, 2026

College Flag Football Is Outgrowing Its DIY Era

Women have been building the college game themselves at the club level.
Oct 5, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas arrives at the arena before the Penguins host the Winnipeg Jets at PPG Paints Arena
October 12, 2026

NHL’s New Wave of GMs Is Built Different

“I am in the prediction business,” Devils GM Sunny Mehta tells FOS.
Action Images/Peter Cziborra
October 9, 2026

Is Leicester City’s $264 Million Price Tag Too Rich for Hungry Investors?

After falling from grace, how much is a former top club worth?

Brewers’ Underpaid Ace Takes World Series Spotlight

The hard-throwing pitcher becomes a World Series focal point.
First at FOS
October 20, 2026

Topgolf, John Daly Strike Deal in Wake of Masters Hooters Closure

Daly, 60, last played in the Masters in 2006.
October 20, 2026

NFL, Eagles Defend Handling of Jalen Hurts’s Blood Clots

The QB was examined at Cleveland Clinic in London.
Sponsored

Blake Griffin’s Plan for Media Domination

The former NBA star is building a second act across media & entertainment.
Jul 2, 2026; Silvis, Illinois, USA; Blades Brown smiles with his caddie, Brett Swedberg, on the 9th green during the first round of the John Deere Classic golf tournament.
October 15, 2026

Teenage Phenom’s Pro ‘Gamble’ Paid Off With PGA Tour Record

The golfer turned professional in December 2024 when he was 17.
October 15, 2026

Blake Griffin: Clippers Salary Cap Punishment ‘Probably Fits’

Griffin played eight seasons with the Clippers and made five All-Star Games.
October 14, 2026

Rafael Jodar Embroiled in Yet Another Ball Kid Controversy

Jodar told a ball boy to “give me the fucking towel.”
October 13, 2026

MLS Commissioner Don Garber Deflects on Messi Confrontation

Garber called Messi “the GOAT of all GOATs.”