West Virginia head women’s basketball coach Mark Kellogg decided to poke the bear.
The Mountaineers enter the NCAA women’s tournament as the No. 8 seed in the Albany 2 bracket. This means they’re one victory away from a matchup with No. 1 seed Iowa and star Caitlin Clark, but before that, will need to defeat Princeton in the round of 64.
Kellogg addressed both games with a one-liner that quickly went viral, calling his shot for West Virginia to send Clark and the Hawkeyes home early.
“Let’s win one, and let’s send Caitlin Clark packing early,” Kellogg said after the selection show.
WVU HC Mark Kellogg with some strong words
“Let’s win one and send Caitlin Clark packing”
— Wesley Shoemaker (@wesleyshoe) March 18, 2024
Iowa is currently ranked No. 2 in the country with a 29–4 record behind another stellar season from Clark. The senior guard was the 2023 AP Player of the Year and is the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer.
Clark has averaged 31.9 points, 8.9 assists and 7.3 rebounds per game this season while shooting 46% from the field and 38.1% from beyond the arc. She’s propelled Iowa into the elites of college basketball and is a key reason they’re one of the favorites to win the national title.
West Virginia finished the 2023-24 season with a 24–7 mark, tied with Baylor for fourth in the Big 12. They’re led by guard JJ Quinerly, who averages 19.6 points per game this season.