Clark carries Iowa past LSU and back to Final Four
Caitlin Clark put up another sensational performance to carry Iowa to its second straight Final Four.
The Hawkeyes’ superstar guard, whose record-breaking exploits have brought unprecedented attention to women’s basketball, made nine three-pointers and finished with 41 points and 12 assists as Iowa knocked defending national champion LSU out of the NCAA Tournament with a 94-87 victory on Monday night.
“It’s amazing to be back in the Final Four. It’s so hard to get back there,” Clark said. “This region was really hard, but we told ourselves we are the one seed for a reason.”
Top-seeded Iowa (33-4) will play UConn in the national semifinals Friday night in Cleveland.
Monday’s highly anticipated matchup was a rematch of last year’s national championship game won by LSU, which drew a record 9.9 million viewers.
Both teams wished that this meeting had come later in the tournament instead of with a Final Four berth at stake, but that was out of their control.
Clark, who also scored 41 points in the regional final last year, and Angel Reese of LSU put on a memorable show for the sold-out crowd and the millions watching.
“I think it’s just great for the sport, just being able to be a part of history. Like I said, no matter which way it went tonight, I know this was going to be a night for the ages,” said Reese, who had 17 points and 20 rebounds before fouling out with 1:45 left. “And just being able to be a part of history is great. Playing against another great player, of course, is always amazing.”
Clark has declared for this year’s WNBA draft. Reese, too, will have a decision to make about whether to turn pro or come back for one more season.
With the game tied at 45 after an entertaining first half, Clark took over in the third quarter. The NCAA Division I all-time scoring leader hit four threepointers, each deeper than the previous one. Her fourth of the quarter made it 61-52. It also was the 538th of her career, which made her the all-time leader in that category among NCAA Division I players, passing Oklahoma’s Taylor Robertson.
“There’s not a lot of strategy. You’ve got to guard her. Nobody else seems to be able to guard her,” LSU coach Kim Mulkey said.