The intense showdown between Iowa and UConn in the Final Four came down to its final critical moments, which were both tense and unexpected.
Ultimately, the favored Hawkeyes and standout player of the year Caitlin Clark secured a 71-69 win over the underdog Huskies on Friday night, propelling Iowa into their second consecutive national title match.
The impressive Hawkeyes (34-4) are set to face off against another top-seed, South Carolina (37-0), in the upcoming championship face-off this Sunday. This will be a rematch from one of last season’s semifinals.
When UConn trailed by a single point with only nine seconds remaining, there was a moment of excitement as the Huskies’ KK Arnold managed to make a crucial steal. However, a game-changing illegal screen by UConn’s Aaliyah Edwards occurred with merely 3.9 seconds left, resulting in the possession being returned to Iowa.
Following the foul, Clark made her first free throw successfully but missed the second, only for Iowa to grab the rebound with 1.1 seconds on the clock. In a nail-biting moment during the second inbound play, the Hawkeyes made the crucial pass to secure the victory.
Clark shone brightly, amassing 21 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists to spearhead Iowa’s triumph over UConn. The match took place on Friday night at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.
Clark’s scoring output equaled her season low, a record set earlier when she played a short 26-minute game against Florida Gulf Coast in November. In the face of the strong UConn defense, Clark made just 7 of 18 field goal attempts and 3 of 11 from beyond the arc.
Hannah Stuelke, on the other hand, stepped up for the Hawkeyes with 23 points on a remarkable 9-of-12 shooting performance.
The Huskies (33-6) saw Edwards and Paige Bueckers each contribute 17 points, with Arnold also adding 14 points to their tally.
UConn held a significant 12-point lead in the first half, managing to stifle Clark, who holds the title of all-time leading scorer in Division I college basketball among both men and women. The first half saw the Iowa star struggle, scoring only six points on 3-of-11 shooting and missing all her 3-point attempts.
During the third quarter, Stuelke took charge for Iowa, recording 11 points. Her critical offensive rebound late in the quarter led to valuable second-chance points for Sydney Affolter, nudging Iowa ahead by two points momentarily. A crucial layup by Edwards tied the game at 51-51 going into the final quarter.
Stuelke initiated the fourth quarter with a layup, followed by an electrifying step-back 3-pointer from Clark, as she was closely guarded by a UConn defender, inciting roaring cheers from the crowd. These two pivotal baskets marked the beginning of a 15-6 scoring run for Iowa, granting the Hawkeyes a nine-point lead with less than six minutes remaining.
UConn rallied back resolutely, with Nika Muhl sinking a key 3-pointer from the top of the key with just 41 seconds left, reducing Iowa’s lead to a single point. Ultimately, it was Clark’s free throw that sealed the deal and scored the final point of the game amidst all the thrilling action.
