Even after becoming the all-time leading scorer in college basketball, Caitlin Clark still failed to lift the Iowa Hawkeyes to the championship. But if head coach Lisa Bluder had her way, she would have the star for one more year.
During the Hawkeyes’ final game against the South Carolina Gamecocks, the latter went home with the 87-75 win. Tessa Johnson came up big for her team when dropped 19 points on 63 percent shooting from the bench. Kamilla Cardoso had a stellar showing by tallying 15 points and 17 rebounds in 31 minutes on the court. Te-Hina Paopao, meanwhile, added 14 points to help her team get the victory.
The Hawkeyes, meanwhile, got a monster performance from Clark as the guard posted 30 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. Kate Martin made 16 points and five rebounds to go along with Sydney Affolter’s 12 points in the loss.
Apart from capturing the NCAA Tournament Championship, the Gamecocks managed to keep their record spotless by winning 38 games without any losses. As a result, the Hawkeyes star will now move on to the WNBA after declaring herself for the upcoming draft and becoming the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer.
Hawkeyes Coach Lisa Bluder Reveals Near-Impossible Wish For Caitlin Clark
After losing to the Gamecocks, Hawkeyes coach Lisa Bluder was interviewed by Kaiden Smith for On3. In that article, she reveals one wish that’s connected to Clark’s decision to go pro:
“Can she still change her mind? Is that possible?” Bluder asked. “I don’t know. I would like that very much,” the Iowa head coach said.
Iowa’s loss to Kardoso’s Gamecocks marked the final time Caitlin was seen wearing a Hawkeyes uniform. Before doing so, the top WNBA prospect in the draft has set all sorts of records during her time playing college basketball.
While it would be close to impossible for Clark to take her final year in college, the thought of it is still enticing for Bluder and Iowa fans. Nevertheless, the guard will have a bright future once she plays her first game in the WNBA later this year.
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