Caitlin Clark opens up on the WNBA draft, Olympic dreams... and why she was more nervous for Saturday Night Live cameo than March Madness: 'My heart was pounding out of my chest!'

Caitlin Clark has lifted the lid on her 'wild ride' towards the WNBA, revealing that she was in second grade when she first wrote down her dream of playing at the top of women's basketball.

Clark is expected to be the No 1 pick in Monday's WNBA draft after an incredible college career which saw her lead the Iowa Hawkeyes to back-to-back national championship games.

The 22-year-old grew to become the biggest star in college basketball and she is relishing the spotlight in the professional game. 

'I think when you want to be one of the best players in the world, that just kind of comes with it,' she told NBC News. 

'This is something I wrote down on a piece of paper when I was in second grade: "Get a basketball scholarship, play in the WNBA" — this is always something I wanted to do.'

The Indiana Fever is expected to select Clark on Monday, with the guard hearing season tickets are already 'selling pretty well,' in Indianapolis. 

The 22-year-old expects her move into professional basketball to be a 'learning curve' but Clark knows she has 'earned to be in this moment'. 

'That’s always kind of what I remind myself: you’re not here by accident,' she said.

Clark made history with the Hawkeyes, becoming the NCAA's all-time leading scorer and helping Iowa attract record viewing figures.

The Hawkeye's defeat by South Carolina in this year's national championship game drew a TV audience  of 18.7million - 4m more than the men's final between UConn and Purdue - while the WNBA draft sold out in 15 minutes.

'You’re late to the party,' she told new fans of the sport. 'Once we’ve been really given an opportunity to show the product, people have really loved it and want to invest in it even more.'

She added: 'Let’s continue to bring (fans) in and want them to keep coming back for more. Clark said being a role model to young girls is 'the reason' she plays.

'Understanding how big of an impact that can have on a young girl’s life is super important,' she added. 'So I always try to make as much time as I can for them. And just to see them scream your name or have your jersey on — that’s something that never gets old.'

Clark's soaring profile saw her make a cameo on Saturday Night Live over the weekend. 

'I don’t get nervous for basketball games,' she said. 'But going in front of a live audience on national television, doing something outside of your comfort zone, is a little scary. My heart was pounding out of my chest.' 

The 22-year-old is slated to make her WNBA debut in May, just a few months out from the Olympics. And Clark said it would 'mean everything' to pull on the United States jersey in Paris.

'That was one of my dreams as a kid... growing up, you always want to be an Olympic gold medalist,' she said. 'Lucky enough, I’ve been able to play for a few junior national teams in their basketball system, so I know how special it is to represent USA across your chest.' 

Clark added: 'Being able to do that on the highest level would certainly be a dream come true.'