Caitlin Clark couldn’t be prouder of the Iowa Hawkeyes after they took down the UConn Huskies in the Final Four to book a ticket to the national championship.
Clark didn’t have the best game on Friday evening, but the rest of the team stepped up big time to propel the Hawkeyes to the finale. While the spotlight was still on her, Clark made sure to give credit to her teammates and shut down the talks that Iowa is a one-woman team. Clearly, they aren’t.
Caitlin Clark Reacts To Iowa Hawkeyes’ Tough Win vs. UConn Huskies
Clark struggled big time in the first half of the game against the Huskies, with Nika Muhl getting the assignment of guarding the Hawkeyes sharpshooter and doing a great job at it.
The NCAA’s all-time leading scorer finished with just six points at the half, failing to convert any of her six attempts from deep. She did contribute in other ways with six boards and four dimes, but her offensive struggles saw the Hawkeyes to trail 32-26 at that point.
In the third quarter, however, Iowa finally found their rhythm and staged a hot run to tie the game. Clark finally found her shooting touch, while Hannah Stuelke and Kate Martin helped keep the Hawkeyes going with their offensive games.
Despite the controversial ending of the game, no one can deny how hard the Hawkeyes fought to survive the fiery Huskies. Clark had a total of 21 points on top of nine rebounds, seven assists and two steals. Stuelke top-scored for Iowa with 23 points, while Martin had 11 points and eight rebounds.
After the game, Clark admitted it wasn’t the best start for them. But what stood out to her was their resiliency. While her struggles could have been a demoralizing blow to the team, her teammates didn’t get discouraged and picked her up instead.
“Just resilient. Our offense wasn’t great tonight, we played great defense and sometimes that’s what you need to win. So I’m just proud of our girls to find a way to win,” Clark said of the Huskies, via Forbes.
Clark also ended the claims of many that she’s the only reason the Hawkeyes are able to compete in the NCAA Tournament. As they have proven against the Huskies, they are a deep team with plenty of talented individuals capable of stepping up when it matters most.
“Going to the national championship game, everybody’s stepping up. It’s not just me. It’s not just one player. That’s not what this is. We wouldn’t be at this point right now if it was just one player. And everybody comes up and makes really big plays when we need them,” Clark said, per Yahoo Sports.
Caitlin Clark, Iowa Hawkeyes Ready for Title Game vs. South Carolina Gamecocks
After taking care of business against the UConn Huskies, Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes now head to the championship game where they will play the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Iowa has never won a title before, and they are up against an undefeated team in the Gamecocks. Nonetheless, after Saturday’s performance, Clark and Co. are brimming with confidence. With that said, Clark believes they have a shot at the national championship.
“At this point anybody can take it,” Clark claimed.
Sure enough, Clark and the Hawkeyes have every reason to believe they can win. They have proven that they have depth, and with the singular most potent offensive force in the game on their side, they will be hard to beat as well.
The NCAA Tournament women’s final is on Saturday, and plenty of eyes will definitely be on it. Will Clark make history with Iowa before she heads to the WNBA? Or will Dawn Staley’s squad get the job done this time to complete their perfect season?
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