Elite Eight
Winners
Fans: Talk about living up to the hype. After weeks of anticipation, fans got the rematch they wanted, and LSUIowa delivered. The first half alone featured four ties and two lead changes, with each team looking, at least briefly, like they might pull away (LSU built an eight-point lead in the second quarter after Iowa blitzed the Tigers early, building a nine-point lead). Social media was awash in praise for the game and the women who played in it.
Lisa Bluder: There's a lot of talk about who the best tacticians in the women's game are, and who comes up with the best game plans. Stanford's Tara VanDerveer is widely considered superior on both ends of the floor. UConn's Geno Auriemma is one of the best in the business too, given his 11 national championships. And no one wants to play against Dawn Staley's defensive game plans. (All times Eastern) Wednesday, April 3
Hockey
National Hockey League
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But after knocking off South Carolina last year and LSU this year, teams that had considerable size and athleticism advantages, it's probably time we all start talking about Lisa Bluder, in her 24th year at Iowa.
The knock against the Big Ten is its teams don't play defense and maybe that's true. But my goodness the Hawkeyes sure know how to score, and credit Bluder for understanding how to get all her non-generational players in spots where they can knock down good looks (it helps to have the best passer in women's hoops delivering the ball, of course). Iowa is also superior at getting out in transition, another testament to Bluder understanding how to put her athletes in the best position for them.
Nika Muhl: Who says UConn needs more bodies?
The senior guard for the Huskies did a little bit of everything for depleted UConn on Monday night against USC, scoring eight points, handing out eight assists, grabbing five rebounds and snagging two steals (she only had three turnovers, too).
Muhl was overcome with emotion after the game. She paused before doing a
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Basketball
National Basketball Assoc. 7:30 p.m.
ESPN — Oklahoma City at Boston
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ESPN — Cleveland at Phoenix
post-game radio hit, leaning over the scorer's table while tears streamed down her face and the UConn fans in front of her roared their thanks.
Gabbie Marshall: Iowa's smallest player on the floor Monday made an impact far bigger than it might look on the stat sheet.
Marshall, who stands 5-foot-9, had just one basket, a 3-pointer. But she is a workhorse, joining Clark as the only Hawkeyes to play all 40 minutes, and a relentless defender. She had four rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot.
Iowa doesn't win without her, and her coaches and teammates want everyone to know that.
“She doesn't get enough credit for how hard she plays,” Bluder said. “She's the shortest person out there, and she has a blocked shot. She consistently guards the toughest person.”
Losers
Angel Reese’s right ankle: What would have or could have happened against Iowa if Reese hadn't rolled her ankle with 8:01 to play in the second quarter, crashing to the ground after
Baseball
Major League Baseball
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MLBN — Cincinnati at Philadelphia
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MLBN/ESPN+ — Texas at Tampa Bay
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blocking a Clark shot? We'll never know but one thing is for sure: it impacted the play of the defending Most Outstanding Player. Reese finished with 17 points and 20 rebounds before fouling out with 1:45 left in the game, but she was noticeably hobbled, struggling especially in transition defense.
Hailey Van Lith: Talk about a miserable senior year.
The former Louisville All-American transferred to Baton Rouge in the offseason, hungry to win a championship. And while she's started at point guard all season for the Tigers, she admitted earlier this week that it's been hard, given how much her production has gone down (almost eight points lower than last season).
Things got considerably worse Monday night, as Clark torched Van Lith for 41 points, beating her in pretty much every facet of the game.
Van Lith finished with a plus-minus rating of -15, far and away the worst for the Tigers.
But there's possible redemption if she wants it: Van Lith has a COVID year and could use it to come back and play a second season at LSU.
SPORTS ON TV
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