Iowa, Clark look to end South Carolina’s perfection
CLEVELAND — Dawn Staley knows Sunday’s national championship game is a big moment for women’s basketball.
South Carolina is looking to finish a perfect season with the program’s third NCAA title. Standing in the way of Staley and the Gamecocks is a generational player in Caitlin Clark and an Iowa team looking for the school’s first women’s national championship.
“It’s a monumental game for our game. We’re very fortunate to be a part of it,” said Staley, the AP coach of the year. “We get to witness firsthand the legacy of Caitlin Clark. You watch her. You prep for her. You can’t help but to really love how she dissects the game. You love how she executes.”
Clark has done nearly everything she can at Iowa — except win a national championship. She’s the NCAA Division I career scoring leader, holds numerous other records and has powered Iowa into the title game in two straight years.
All that’s left is one more victory over the team that Iowa eliminated in the national semifinals last season.
“I think to bring back a national title to the University of Iowa would be super special,” Clark said. “Obviously it’s special in its own regard, making backto-back national title games. I know everybody would come up to me before the season started and was, like, only one thing left to do. I don’t think people realize how hard it is to get to this point. So I’m just proud of our group.”
Clark said her legacy won’t be defined by what happens Sunday afternoon. To her, it’s more about the lives she has affected.
“I’ve played basketball at this university for four years, and for it to come down to two games and that be whether or not I’m proud of myself and proud of the way I’ve carried myself and proud of the way I’ve impacted people in their lives, I don’t think that’s a fair assessment,” she said.
Clark is coming off one of her toughest games of the season. She had to work for all 21 of her points in a 71-69 victory over UConn on Friday night.
“Iowa’s a challenge. They’re playing their best basketball,” Staley said. “They’re playing inspired. They’re playing like they want to win a national championship. So are we. I think it’s a crash course of who’s going to have the better run, who’s going to be able to execute when it’s time to execute.”
South Carolina is looking to become the 10th team to complete a perfect season in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history.