Iowa's Caitlin Clark receives praise from LSU's Kim Mulkey after hard-fought battle

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At the end of the battle between two of the best women’s basketball programs in the nation, LSU head coach Kim Mulkey had nothing but praise for Iowa’s Caitlin Clark.

Mulkey and Clark met in the postgame handshake line after LSU had defeated Iowa 102-85 in the national championship. Mulkey was set to celebrate the fourth championship of her career after Clark and the Hawkeyes gave them everything they had in the final game.

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LSU head coach Kim Mulkey reacts during the NCAA Women's Final Four championship game against Iowa, Sunday, April 2, 2023, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

The ESPN cameras caught what Mulkey told Clark.

"You’re a generational player," Mulkey said.

Clark had set the sport on fire over the last three games of the NCAA Tournament. She had back-to-back 40-plus point games between the Elite Eight and the Final Four. And she put up 30 points on LSU even as she battled foul trouble the entire game along with a very questionable technical foul call.

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Iowa's Caitlin Clark looks to shoot past LSU's Alexis Morris during the NCAA Women's Final Four championship game, Sunday, April 2, 2023, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

As she looked toward the final season of her collegiate career, Clark spoke of her legacy and the impact she wants to have on the community.

"I want my legacy to be the impact that I can have on young kids and the people in the state of Iowa, and I hope I brought them a lot of joy this season. I hope this team brought them a lot of joy. I understand we came up one win short, but I think we have a lot to be proud of and a lot to celebrate," she told reporters. "I was just that young girl, so all you have to do is dream, and you can be in moments like this."

Iowa's Caitlin Clark walks to the locker room after the NCAA championship game against LSU, Sunday, April 2, 2023, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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Clark wrapped the 2022-23 campaign as the National Player of the Year in women’s college basketball. She had career highs in points (27.8) and assists (8.6) per game this season. He also shot 38.9% from three-point range.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.