Iowa Hawkeyes basketball star Caitlin Clark, the expected number one WNBA draft pick, had viewers cackling after she joined Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live to roast Michael Che over his various jokes about women's sports.
Clark appeared on Weekend Update following a senior season where she became the all-time scoring leader in the history of NCAA Division I basketball.
Che quipped about Clark's achievements, suggesting that her jersey at Iowa would be retired and "replaced with an apron." Clark wasted no time in calling out Che for his remarks, referring to his "little apron joke" and questioning his frequent jests about women's sports.
You can watch their exchange in the video below.
Weekend Update: Caitlin Clark on the WNBA Draft - SNLyoutu.be
She asked:
"You make a lot of jokes about women’s sports, don’t you, Michael?"
When Che responded that he doesn't make "a lot" of jokes about women's sports and certainly "not on the regular," co-host Colin Jost highlighted a supercut of Che's past remarks targeting women's sports, demonstrating a pattern of disparaging comments.
After Che told Clark he thinks she is "a great basketball player" and acknowledged that "I can't play like you do," Clark took matters into her own hands and pointed to the cue cards:
"Yeah, we know. And obviously, I can't tell jokes like you do. But I did write some jokes, and it would mean a lot to me if you read some of them."
Che then read a hilarious series of self-owns Clark had devised for him including:
"Netflix's top show is Ripley, featuring an eerie unsettling performance by actor Andrew Scott. Critics say it's the hardest thing to watch on Netflix since Michael Che's special, Shame the Devil."
The SNL audience also began applauding when Che read out:
“This year, Caitlin Clark broke the record for 3-pointers in a single season, and I have three pointers for Michael Che. One, be. Two, funnier. Three, dumbass."
At the end of the roast, Clark paid homage to trailblazing women in basketball who've inspired her:
“Thanks to all the great players like Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, Cynthia Cooper, the great Dawn Staley and my basketball hero, Maya Moore. These are the women that kicked down the door so I could walk inside."
She then took another jab at Che with a parting gift:
“So I want to thank them tonight for laying the foundation, and Michael, since you’re such a big fan, I brought you a souvenir — it’s an apron signed by me.”
Che thanked her for the apron and said he couldn't "wait to give this to my girlfriend," to which Clark responded:
"You don't have a girlfriend, Michael."
People loved every minute of it.
Clark's appearance was later praised by Che and Jost's SNL co-star Bowen Yang.
Speaking on the red carpet at the Writers Guild Awards, Yang said Clark and teammates Gabbie Marshall, Kate Martin and Jada Gyamfi, who joined her at the studio, “were so cool.”
He added:
“She's so charming and witty. They were just the most stunning, noble people."
“Athletes just have this air about them. They know they're amazing. I mean, these are people who have numeric attachments and values to their performance. That's something that comedians never have.”
A gracious Clark later told Today that her heart was "pounding out of my chest" while filming the segment but that "obviously to be a surprise guest like that’s a bucket list item that not a lot of people get to do.”
