Nuggets coach Michael Malone shouts out Caitlin Clark, Dawn Staley for NCAA Tournament runs: “It’s been so much fun watching this women’s tournament”

Michael Malone’s mind was wandering.

He strolled into his postgame press conference after a 142-110 Nuggets win late Saturday night and interjected before the end of the first question. He wanted to know who won the NCAA men’s Final Four game between Connecticut and Alabama, which was going on during Denver’s game.

He was informed of UConn’s victory. “So it’s UConn and Purdue in the final. and you’ve got South Carolina vs. Iowa in the other final,” Malone said, trailing off as he thought about the matchups.

An obvious follow-up, then: Who does Malone like to win those games?

His mind went other places again.

“I’ll tell you what man, I’m not just saying this because I am a girl dad, but it’s been so much fun watching this women’s tournament,” Malone said. “Think about that. Some of the talent? Everyone talks about Caitlin Clark, rightfully so. But Paige (Bueckers) … Dawn Staley’s team (South Carolina) is just — I think they’re a brand-new starting five and they’re undefeated? Juju Watkins? (A freshman at USC — the other one.) Oh my goodness. The women’s game is alive and well, and I’ve taken a lot of enjoyment.”

Malone also brought up the repeatedly record-setting TV ratings throughout the tournament, particularly Iowa’s run. The Final Four game Friday night between Iowa and UConn drew 14.2 million viewers, unseating Iowa’s Elite Eight game against LSU (12.3 million) four days earlier for the most-viewed women’s basketball game on record.

The game ended controversially, when the officials called an illegal screen foul against UConn’s Aaliyah Edwards with 3.9 seconds remaining. Edwards was trying to free up Bueckers for a last shot with the Huskies trailing 70-69. They didn’t get the ball back.

The validity of an off-ball foul under potentially championship-deciding circumstances became a matter of public scrutiny, with LeBron James weighing in that he didn’t like the call on Twitter. The Nuggets were also engaged in the debate more privately.

“The fact that like the entire (Nuggets) locker room is talking about, ‘Was that a foul? Was that not a foul?’ I love that,” Malone said. “The viewership, that’s really, really great for those girls. They deserve all that.”

Nuggets wing Peyton Watson, when asked which side of the argument he landed on, saved his true feelings for the end. “I think Paige said it best,” he said. “No one call determined the game. … Big shoutout to those girls doing it on that side. They’re bringing so much attention and light to the game. It’s huge. Big shoutout to them. But yeah, it was a tough call.”

The Nuggets have multiple staff members with Iowa ties, including assistant coach and Malone carpool buddy Ryan Bowen, who played and coached for the Hawkeyes. Malone lamented it was foolish of him to ask Bowen his opinion about the call and expect a reasoned, unbiased answer.