Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark made a surprise appearance on "Saturday Night Live," joining "Weekend Update" hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che.

Clark playfully called out Che for his previous women's basketball jokes but ended the skit on a serious note, thanking all of the women's basketball legends who played before her, ahead of Monday's 2024 WNBA draft (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

"I'm sure it will be a big first step for me but it is just one step for the WNBA," Clark said. "Thanks to all the great players like Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, Cynthia Cooper, the great Dawn Staley and my basketball hero, Maya Moore."

After Iowa lost to South Carolina in the national championship game on April 7, Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley recognized the work of Clark's game and her impact on the college basketball season.

Both Clark and South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso will be at the WNBA draft on Monday in New York.

STALEY THANKS CLARK: Dawn Staley thanks Caitlin Clark: 'You are one of the GOATs of our game.'

Clark is expected to be the No. 1 pick of the Indiana Fever. Some projections have Cardoso going third to the Chicago Sky.

Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Caitlin Clark thanks South Carolina coach Dawn Staley, others on 'SNL'