SNL, sold out jerseys, TV records. Caitlin Clark could be catalyst for women's basketball.

BROOKLYN, N.Y — Caitlin Clark's viral 'Saturday Night Live' skit almost never was.

When the SNL crew reached out to her about being on the live broadcast on the Saturday before the WNBA draft, she was unsure. She knew she was going to be in Los Angeles for the Wooden Awards the day before, and that would just be the beginning of jet-setting adventures.

In the end, though, she couldn't refuse an offer to go on something as quintessential as SNL.

'You can’t script it any better.' Caitlin Clark and Fever a perfect fit.

Doyel: Elvis, The Beatles and Caitlin Clark. Fever party just getting started.

"They kind of just reached out to me and were like, 'Do you want to do this?'" Clark told IndyStar. "They asked me during the Final Four, so I didn't think about it much. But then, I was like, 'This is once in a lifetime, you've got to do it,' so I flew there. I was there all night, it was a late show, but it was a lot of fun. I thought it was funny. Everybody told me it was funny."

Clark appeared on the 'Weekend Update' segment with Colin Jost and Michael Che, and she brought jokes along with her. Those jokes were directed at Che to make fun of his disparaging comments toward the WNBA and Clark herself, including one where he said Clark was retiring her jersey for an apron.

So, Clark gave Che a signed apron, as well as him three pointers, "1. be, 2. better, 3. Dumb—."

In that appearance, Clark became the first women's college basketball player to guest star on SNL — something networks likely couldn't even fathom just five years ago.

That appearance solidified, if it wasn't already, Clark's place as a catalyst for the popularity of women's basketball as a whole.

"I think you could say that, but at the same time, there's so many people that have come before us and laid such a great foundation," Clark told IndyStar when asked if she is the catalyst. "I think now that, we're getting so much media attention, playing on national television, social media, I think it's a huge help, all of that combined together, and then obviously the star power in our game now has certainly helped me take off, in a way."

Caitlin Clark was a once-in-a-lifetime, generational talent in Iowa. Now, she'll be the same in Indiana. Clark's Fever jersey went on sale on Fanatics as soon as she was drafted. Less than an hour later, all sizes — from XS to XXL — sold out.

It even started before draft night: the league announced last week 36 of Indiana's 40 games will be on national television this season, which is up from one last year and the most in the league.

"I think that's pretty incredible, it shows the excitement around our organization," Clark told IndyStar. "I think it shows not only how people really want to tune in and watch, but how much belief people have in what this team in going to be. There's a lot of moving parts to put together still, but as a competitor, you love playing on national television."

While Clark's star rose, Iowa's attendance numbers went up 81% between the 2021-22 and 2023-24 seasons, according to ESPN. Every Iowa home and away game (other than two tournament games in Florida) were sold out for Clark's senior season, and economists project she generated over $80 million in the Iowa economy over her four-year career.

She's the subject of and an executive producer for the docuseries "Full Court Press," which follows her, South Carolina alum and 2024 No. 3 pick Kamilla Cardoso and UCLA's Kiki Rice throughout their season, and it will premiere in May.

"It's absolutely amazing," Clark said of the documentary. "It really allows you to understand the student-athlete for way more than just a basketball player, and I think that's really important. I think that's going to allow fans of the W, fans of college to really understand what they go through, but love them even more for who they are and what they do and what they're about. I'm excited for everybody to see it, and it's been a special project."

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: SNL, jersey sales show Caitlin Clark a catalyst for women's basketball