Caitlin Clark and No. 1 seed Iowa women’s basketball lost to Dawn Staley’s No. 1 seed and undefeated South Carolina in the women’s NCAA Tournament national championship game.
Check below to re-live game updates, highlights and analysis:
GAME STORY:Iowa women’s basketball falls short of national title against South Carolina
More:Leistikow: Caitlin Clark lost title but, like always, gave Iowa women’s basketball a chance
FINAL: South Carolina 87, Iowa 75
The Gamecocks finish their historic season as the 10th undefeated team ever. It is their second national title in three seasons.
A valiant effort from Iowa wasn’t enough. The depth disparity was too much to overcome.
Q4/0:53 Iowa 75, South Carolina 87 – It’s over
Clark forced a couple bad shots and South Carolina is in the bonus.
Iowa is trying to play the foul game but can’t make a shot on the other end.
Q4/4:39 Iowa 72, South Carolina 78 – Hawkeyes within striking distance
An 8-0 got Iowa within six points, but a transition turnover by Sydney Affolter halted the momentum. The Hawkeyes are somehow in this game despite losing the bench-scoring battle 36-0.
Still, Iowa recovered from nearly letting the game slip away and now has a chance to make one final run.
Clark had a highlight crossover 3-pointer, and Gabbie Marshall got a clutch offensive rebound and made a triple.
Can Iowa hold South Carolina to one shot is the real question.
End 3: Iowa 59, South Carolina 68 – Hawkeyes need a spark
Iowa has scored progressively fewer points in each quarter – 27, 19, 13. The Hawkeyes need a Clark hot streak or a spark from someone else to have a chance to mount a comeback.
The team had several open opportunities that frame that it squandered. If those open looks remain in the fourth and the Hawkeyes can get shots to fall, that will go a long way.
Defending the 3-point line on the other end is also a major factor. South Carolina is repeatedly taking and making open shots, or getting the offensive rebound on misses.
Q3/1:06 Iowa 57, South Carolina 68 – Gamecocks hot from deep
It’s raining 3s for South Carolina. The team is 8-for-16 from deep, and Tessa Johnson has hit a couple rainbow jumpers this quarter.
Iowa, meanwhile, is missing shots it normally makes. Fatigue might be playing a factor.
Q3/4:58 Iowa 53, South Carolina 57 – Hawkeyes won’t go away
Just when it seemed like South Carolina might take full control of this game, Clark and Iowa got off the matt.
Clark is still struggling to regain her first-quarter form, but other Hawkeyes are starting to step up. Hannah Stuelke continues to hang tough and is up to 11 points, and Gabbie Marshall finally got open for a 3-pointer.
South Carolina also has four players with two fouls, which could become an issue later in this game.
Q3/7:59 Iowa 46, South Carolina 55 – Hawkeyes in trouble
South Carolina blew out NC State in the third quarter of the Final Four, and Lisa Bluder just called a timeout after the Gamecocks’ 6-0 start to try and thwart a big run.
Iowa got Clark into action moving to her left, but she couldn’t make her 3-point attempt. Sydney Affolter also had a wide-open triple that rimmed out.
The Hawkeyes need to take advantage of any mistakes. They need to be close to perfect.
Halftime: Iowa 46, South Carolina 49 – Gamecocks take momentum
A five-point flurry in the final seconds gave South Carolina its largest lead of the game. 12 offensive rebounds and shooting 5-for-11 from behind the arc allowed the Gamecocks to overcome Iowa’s early run.
Clark needs to find ways to get to her left hand or catch-and-shoot moving left. Too many of her actions have been going to her right, where she’s not nearly as comfortable shooting from.
Hannah Stuelke and Kate Martin have been great, but can Sydney Affolter find a way to be more impactful? Can Gabbie Marshall get loose for a couple 3-pointers?
Iowa will need all five of its starters to play well if its to finish this game on top.
Q2/1:00 Iowa 44, South Carolina 44 – Teams trading buckets
Clark finally scored this quarter, breaking free from her defending by using a screen and a stepback for a 3.
Kate Martin and Hannah Stuelke each have nine points and are the only other Hawkeyes making a major impact this frame.
But South Carolina’s depth has been on full display. Its bench has 22 points, just as many as its starters, and it’ll be interesting to see if fatigue plays a factor for Iowa as this game goes on.
Q2/4:11 Iowa 36, South Carolina 36 – Gamecocks dominating the paint
South Carolina has played to its identity much better over the last 10 minutes, dominating the paint and being more aggressive defensively.
Kamilla Cardoso looks healthy and has started to take over. She has 11 points and seven rebounds and has helped the Gamecocks build a 23-14 advantage on the glass.
But Hannah Stuelke has been battling and is starting to find success this frame. She has six points and just converted an and-1.
Clark hasn’t gotten many clean looks this frame and has seemingly gone cold. But South Carolina has adopted a defensive strategy closer to what UConn did – faceguarding her around the court.
End 1: Iowa 27, South Carolina 20 – Clark breaks another record
After the media timeout, South Carolina snatched momentum with a 9-2 run, sparked by a renewed defensive intensity and hot shooting from deep. Milaysia Fulwiley was terrific off the bench with seven points.
But Clark broke Iowa out of its lull with a tough drive to the basket and a deadeye 3-pointer in the face of 6-foot-7-inch Kamilla Cardoso in the quarter’s final minute.
Clark’s 18 points are the most in a quarter in championship game ever, according to the ABC broadcast.
Q1/4:45 Iowa 20, South Carolina 9 – Gamecocks can’t match UConn defense
The ABC broadcast crew said Clark called UConn’s defense on her in the Final Four was the best she’s faced in her entire college career.
But South Carolina, clearly, is not able to match the terrific defense of the Huskies’ Nika Muhl and others who held Clark to just 21 points. Clark already has 13 points on just four shot attempts as she’s been fouled on two 3-point shot attempts.
The Gamecocks must adjust their defensive intensity or approach. The freedom of movement Iowa has enjoyed thus far compared to the struggle it endured against UConn has been obvious.
Q1/5:04 Iowa 20, South Carolina 9 – Perfect start for Hawkeyes
Good ball movement got Kate Martin an open 3-pointer on Iowa’s first offensive possession, and she confidently let it fly and swished it.
She then hit a baseline fadeaway jumper two possessions later. A great sign for Iowa to see her get involved early.
Sydney Affolter also took a rebound coast-to-coast for a left-handed layup.
If the supporting Hawkeyes can establish themselves as scoring threats, that will open the offense up for Clark to operate, like she did already by making an open triple to cap Iowa’s 10-0 start.
Martin and Affolter scored Iowa’s first seven points, then Clark scored 13 straight, including a logo 3.
The women’s national championship is underway in Cleveland
The game has tipped-off in Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse where Clark is trying to cement her legacy as one of the best college basketball players ever, and South Carolina is attempting to finish a perfect 38-0 and go down as one of the best teams of all time.
Fans in downtown Iowa City are fired up for the game
From Ryan Hansen:
“Iowa City is bustling ahead of the NCAA Tournament final between the Hawkeyes and the Gamecocks as students and fans alike pack local bars and restaurants ahead of Caitlin Clark’s final game.
Fourth-year University of Iowa student Lucas Gilbertson said he’s excited to watch Clark one final time and hopefully celebrate a national championship.
‘It’s not often you get to see a superstar like this,’ Gilbertson said.
He said he waited in line outside Joe’s Place, one of many hotspots for the title game, with his parents at 11 a.m. to make sure they had a spot in front of a TV. Three hours before tipoff, when Gilbertson arrived, the line stretched for almost half a block.
Nearby, members of the beer band played trumpets, tubas and saxophones, banged on drums and invaded Brother’s Bar & Grill, another popular hotspot for local Hawkeye fans. About 100 people waited to get in just 15 minutes before tip-off. Inside, fans stood on small boxes to get a view of the TVs.
‘I’ve seen (Clark) in Tippie, she’s a marketing genius, she has all this going on. It’s incredible,’ Gilbertson said. ‘…I just hope she can cap it off with a national championship.'”
