Caitlin Clark helped the Iowa Hawkeyes change the trajectory of the 2023 Women’s NCAA Tournament. It was basically dubbed the “South Carolina Invitational,” as the unbeaten South Carolina Gamecocks had dominated college basketball all season. In fact they were on a 42-game winning streak, tied for the seventh-longest in women’s college basketball history. That was until they ran into the Iowa Hawkeyes and their generational star Caitlin Clark.
In a matchup of contrasting styles, the Hawkeyes were able to do just enough to neutralize the imposing size of the Gamecocks. The much smaller Hawkeyes matched the physical nature of Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley’s team, and behind 41-point outing from star guard Clark, the reigning AP and Naismith Player of the Year, they pulled off the improbable upset.
It’s the biggest surprise since 2017, when heavily-favored UConn was upset by Mississippi State, ending the Huskies’ 111-game winning streak.
Clark Says Hawkeyes Played Freely
Coming into the Final Four, while many were intrigued by the matchup which featured the best player in college basketball versus the best team, not many gave the Hawkeyes a chance. But that’s why they play the game, and with no pressure on them Iowa played loose all night and never wavered. In her postgame interview, Clark talked about the confidence and looseness of her team.
“We had nothing to lose. I have all the confidence in the world in this group, and they believe right back in me, and that’s all you need,” Clark said. “All we do is believe in one another and we love each other to death, and that’s what a true team is. If you want an example of a team, that’s what this is.”
Clark channeled her inner Steph Curry with long range bombs, creative off-the-dribble drives, but what was most impressive was her willingness to invite the double and sometimes triple-teams and then find an open teammate at the rim for an easy basket. She was prepared for every defense Staley and the Gamecocks threw at her, and she flourished. Her performance is the first time a player has ever scored 40 points in back-to-back NCAA Tournament games.
Clark Has One More Test To Pass
After taking down the top-ranked team in the nation, Clark and her teammates will turn their attention to the Kim Mulkey and Angel Reese-led LSU Tigers. And while It won’t get any easier, the Hawkeyes have all the confidence in the world after slaying Goliath.
Sunday in Dallas one of those two programs will win the first national championship in their program’s history, and it wouldn’t be smart to bet against Clark, and the Hawkeyes.
Clark is only 21, so she can’t enter the WNBA Draft this year, as you must be 22. If she could, this run in March quite possibly could’ve thrust her into the No. 1 spot ahead of Gamecocks star Aliyah Boston.
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