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After Iowa sensation Caitlin Clark’s elite performance last night against defending national champions LSU, the Hawkeyes’ guard helped her beloved team punch their ticket into the March Madness Final Four tournament.
Yesterday’s game was highly anticipated as it marked the first time since last year’s NCAA National Championship Game that Iowa would face LSU. During the 2023 NCAA National Championship Game, Iowa fell to LSU 102-85 in history’s most-viewed NCAA women’s basketball Championship Game.
What happened in the 2023 NCAA Championship Game?
The highly contested match sparked a generous amount of media attention due to what transpired in the last few seconds of the game.
The Tigers’ power forward Angel Reese taunted Caitlin Clark by pointing to her ring finger and waving her hand in front of her face, implying that LSU had clinched the National Championship ring.
ANGEL REESE HIT CAITLIN CLARK WITH THE "YOU CAN'T SEE ME" 👀 pic.twitter.com/Zj3mqIzkk9
— ESPN (@espn) April 2, 2023
Reese received immense scrutiny for this gesture and was told she lacked class. This taunt took the media world by storm as people argued whether the hand motion was appropriate.
It was quickly noted that Clark used this exact hand motion in previous matches and did not receive criticism to the same extent as Reese.
No bad blood in last night’s Elite Eight match:
After sparking a media frenzy last season, fans highly anticipated yesterday’s game as the two greatest prolific players came face-to-face one last time during their collegiate basketball careers as Iowa beat LSU 94-87.
Entering last night’s game, both stars claimed that there was no bad blood between the two. Reese stated that no one is her friend when she enters the basketball court as she is focused on the task at hand.
Both athletes are known for being emotive, but that is just part of the game, as Clark and Reese understand what is at stake during the match.
Not only was the Final Four match at stake, but this was likely the two stars’ final time competing in a March Madness tournament. Clark announced she would declare for the WNBA Draft, and Reese stated that she would decide when she is ready, as she can utilize her COVID-19 eligibility to return for a fifth season.
As this season did not end in the way the LSU power forward would prefer, she has to decide the fate of her basketball career promptly.
According to the WNBA, any player competing in the Elite Eight tournament or beyond has 48 hours after the end of their final match to declare for the draft.
As Caitlin Clark declared for the WNBA Draft on February 22, 2024, she has everything on the line as this year’s March Madness tournament is her final shot at the NCAA National Championship title.
Caitlin Clark’s recent feats following last night’s match:
Last night, the Hawkeyes guard recorded 41 points, 7 rebounds, 12 assists, and 2 steals against the Tigers.
Throughout her collegiate career and, more specifically, her senior season, Clark has managed to set new NCAA records. While it might seem like few records are left to break, the 22-year-old broke two more last night.
With five minutes remaining in the third quarter of Iowa’s Elite Eight match, Clark scored a 3-pointer that caused her to hold the record for the most career 3-pointers in NCAA women’s basketball after amassing 538. The Hawkeyes’ guard broke Oklahoma sensation Taylor Robertson’s 2018-2023 record of 537 career 3-pointers in 151 career matches.
Caitlin Clark against LSU:
— Big Ten Women's Basketball (@B1Gwbball) April 2, 2024
✅ Set ANOTHER record.
✅ Helped send @iowawbb to ANOTHER Final Four. pic.twitter.com/kePHHzZIUu
In typical Caitlin Clark fashion, one record was not enough for the 22-year-old star. Clark made an assist in the fourth quarter of the Elite Eight match, becoming the NCAA’s career leader in assists for the women’s tournament.
Caitlin Clark’s record-breaking season:
Clark’s two recent feats occurred after an impressive record-breaking season for the Hawkeyes guard.
In Iowa’s second-round March Madness win over West Virginia on March 25, 2024, Clark amassed 32 points in the match, breaking the NCAA Division I single-season women’s scoring record. Caitlin Clark’s 32 points helped the Iowa star amass 1,113 single-season points, breaking former Washington Huskies’ Kelsey Plum’s single-season record of 1,109 points in the 2016-2017 season.
Nearly three weeks before this feat, the 22-year-old broke perhaps the most impressive record in NCAA Division I basketball history. On March 3, 2024, Caitlin Clark amassed 3,685 points across 130 collegiate games, surpassing Pete Maravich’s 1970 all-time leading scoring record of 3,667 points.
This impressive feat came just four days after the Hawkeyes guard broke the NCAA Division I women’s scoring record of 3,649 points in 1981, previously held by Lynette Woodard.
What’s next for Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes?
As the Iowa Hawkeyes have punched their ticket to the Final Four, they will face off against UConn for the chance to advance to the Championship Game for their second consecutive appearance in the prestigious match.
The highly anticipated game between No. 1 Iowa and No. 3 UConn will take place on April 5, and the Hawkeyes are currently opening as the favorites for the Final Four match.
On the point spread, Iowa is favored to win the match by 2.5 points. When looking at the money line, the Hawkeyes are favored at -142, while UConn sits at +120.
If Clark and the Hawkeyes win the Final Four match, they will advance to the NCAA Championship Game, where they will face either South Carolina or North Carolina State for the NCAA Division I women’s basketball national title.
As Caitlin Clark has declared for the 2024 WNBA Draft, there is no better way to bid farewell to her collegiate career than by clinching the NCAA National Championship title for her beloved team.
