Following the victory, Caitlin Clark and Iowa hold and reveal two secret words.
Iowa and Caitlin Clark defeat UConn to go to their second consecutive national championship game.
Finally, Caitlin Clark managed to find a way.
With only one game remaining in her illustrious career at Iowa, the most entertaining player in women’s college basketball was completely shut down in the first half. Her goal is to secure the Hawkeyes’ first-ever national title.
In the second half of Friday night’s women’s Final Four, Iowa defeated Paige Bueckers and UConn 71-69 behind the 21 points and three game-changing 3-pointers from Clark.
The Hawkeyes (34-4) will play South Carolina again in the rematch. South Carolina finished with a perfect record the previous season but lost to Iowa in the national semifinals. In the championship game, LSU defeated the Hawkeyes.
It will require steps one through five. They have such talent. South Carolina “played a great game today,” according to Clark. “Anyone can handle it at this stage. We’ll be prepared if you head off and take care of yourself for one day.
The overwhelming UConn defense made it a difficult first thirty minutes, but in the fourth quarter, the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer finally got going.
Clark scored seven points in the opening 2 1/2 minutes of the game, including one of her iconic step-back threes, to give Iowa a little lead with the score knotted at 51 points. After UConn (33-6) closed the gap to 60-57, the Hawkeyes pulled away with six consecutive points to establish a 66-57 lead.
With 39.3 seconds remaining, Nika Muhl stole the ball and made a 3-pointer to cut Iowa’s lead to 70-66.
Hannah Stuelke of Iowa won it with ten seconds remaining. With 4.6 seconds remaining, Aaliyah Edwards set a screen and was penalized for an offensive foul, which prevented UConn from taking the lead.
Clark missed the second attempt despite making the first. After Sydney Affolter, a teammate, grabbed the rebound, UConn tied her up, resulting in a jump ball. The Hawkeyes won the game by tossing the ball into the air to run out the last seconds after the possession arrow maintained the ball in their possession.
Iowa was led by Stuelke, who scored 23 points. Clark ended with seven assists and nine rebounds.
“We got off to a really good start in the fourth quarter,” Clark remarked. produced a few large baskets. Hannah produced a few baskets. Martin’s Kate was amazing. Simply tough.
The Huskies, who had been in the national semifinals for 14 straight seasons, were back in the Final Four after a one-year break, thanks to 17 points apiece from Bueckers and Edwards. Perhaps Geno Auriemma’s finest coaching performance to date was this one. Prior to the season, UConn was hoping to win its 12th championship in school history, but a slew of injuries that sidelined over half of its team swiftly put an end to that dream.
But after missing a whole season and a portion of another due to injury, Bueckers—who was named the national player of the year as a freshman in 2021—returned to that level of performance and helped the Huskies win back the conference.
“Considering the conditions we operate in, we put ourselves in a position to win a game that we probably shouldn’t have been in,” Auriemma remarked. When you’re aiming to win the game and you don’t, you don’t feel fortunate to be in this situation right now. We get to go home once Iowa wins the game and they can continue.
Bueckers and Nika Muhl’s and her teammates’ outstanding defense, which surrounded Clark each time she touched the ball, helped UConn get out to a quick start. In the second quarter, the lead was 12 points for the Huskies.
Right now, that’s what you’re about to witness. They’re going to completely give up on me, “Clark said. “I felt like my teammates came through for us, did a great job, and made some huge baskets when we needed it.” I am really proud of them. We all five must do it.
