With the WNBA Draft coming up on Monday, and the Indiana Fever poised to take Caitlin Clark with the No. 1 overall pick, the iconic, singular star of women’s basketball came by Saturday Night Live to promote her impending coronation — and to absolutely ether “Weekend Update” anchor Michael Che.
Thanks to an assist from Colin Jost and a tremendous deadpan delivery from Clark, the segment really works. “Weekend Update” is almost always funny to me. Say whatever you will about SNL these days, but Che and Jost are a fantastic combo. It’s even better when they get an unexpected guest, and better than that, Che was willing to get uncomfortable about making female athletes the butt of some of his prior jokes.
Jost saying he “actually supports women” is a hilarious line, and Che’s reaction to the reel of receipts is worth watching the video below alone.
But the best part of the sketch has to be the jokes Clark “came up with” to clap back at Che for his prior humor-related transgressions. Che had to read off the cue cards as the hits kept coming. Whether it was Ripley being the hardest thing to watch on streaming since his last comedy special, a dig related to his college days at Purdue, or “three pointers” that he could apply to his life courtesy of America’s 3-point queen, Che took it all on the chin like a champ.
Clark caps everything off by thanking some of her ladies basketball idols for paving the way for her career and inspiring her. Then, she gifts Che with an autographed apron in a cheeky little commentary on traditional gender roles. Savage. Caitlin Clark doesn’t need to be in the kitchen to cook. She is the closest thing to Steph “Chef” Curry I’ve ever seen in women’s or men’s basketball, which is one of several reasons why her national championship game against South Carolina was the most-watched hoops game (period) since 2019.
To stand out with this strong of a showing on a night where Chris Stapleton was ripping it up and Ryan Gosling was back in action as host says a lot about Clark’s star power.
Although some old heads like Diana Taurasi want to stomp on the hype around Clark, I have a feeling she’s going to thrive as a rookie. It sure helps to team up with the reigning No. 1 overall pick and Rookie of the Year in ex-South Carolina star Aaliyah Boston. Talk about a dynamic big-guard duo. If the Hoosiers and Pacers can’t deliver exceptional basketball for the hardwood-heavy state of Indiana, the Fever should get it done in spades.
