Current:Home > reviewsCaitlin Clark leads Iowa to 71-69 win over UConn in women's Final Four -Wealth Navigators Hub
Caitlin Clark leads Iowa to 71-69 win over UConn in women's Final Four
View
Date:2025-04-13 23:55:30
Caitlin Clark led Iowa back to the national championship game, scoring 21 points as the Hawkeyes rallied past Paige Bueckers and UConn 71-69 in the women's Final Four on Friday night.
Next up for the Hawkeyes (34-4) is a rematch with unbeaten South Carolina, which lost to Iowa in last year's national semifinals. The Hawkeyes then fell short of winning the school's first championship, falling to LSU in the title game. Now Clark is one win away from bringing her home state its first women's basketball title in the final game of her college career.
After a rough opening 30 minutes because of a swarming UConn defense, the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer finally got going in the fourth quarter.
With the game tied at 51-all, Clark scored seven points in the first 2 1/2 minutes of the period to give Iowa a small cushion. UConn (33-6) got within 60-57 before the Hawkeyes scored six straight to take a 66-57 advantage.
UConn trailed 70-66 before Nika Muhl hit a 3-pointer after a steal with 39.3 seconds left to get the Huskies within one.
Iowa's Hannah Stuelke turned it over with 10 seconds left. UConn had a chance to take the lead, but Aaliyah Edwards was called for an offensive foul while setting a screen with 4.6 seconds left.
Clark made the first of two free throws before missing the second. Teammate Sydney Affolter got the rebound and UConn tied her up, forcing a jump ball. The possession arrow kept the ball with the Hawkeyes, who sealed the win by throwing the ball in the air to run out the final seconds.
Stuelke scored 23 points to lead Iowa. Clark finished with nine rebounds and seven assists.
Bueckers and Edwards each scored 17 points for the Huskies, who were back in the Final Four after a one-year hiatus that ended their run of 14 straight seasons in the national semifinals. This might have been the best coaching job by Geno Auriemma. UConn had hopes of winning the 12th title in school history coming into the season, but those were quickly dashed by a series of injuries that sidelined nearly half of its roster.
But Bueckers, the national player of the year as a freshman in 2021 who returned to that form after missing an entire season and part of another with injuries, carried the Huskies back into title contention.
UConn got going early behind Bueckers and stellar defense by Nika Muhl and her teammates, who swarmed Clark every time she touched the ball. The Huskies led by 12 points in the second quarter.
Iowa trailed by six at the half before getting going in the third quarter behind their star. She made her first 3-pointer of the game 2 minutes into the period, and then her four-point play got Iowa within one. The Hawkeyes then took their first lead later in the period right before Kate Martin got hit in the face by Edwards, resulting in a bloody nose. She ran off the court, leaving a trail of blood behind her.
Martin was back on the Iowa bench before they had finished cleaning the court. She then hit three big baskets down the stretch.
Clark had a tough first half, scoring six points while missing all six of her 3-point attempts. She barely got any open shots and at times looked frustrated. Iowa's coaches kept shouting words of encouragement to their generational player.
Even though she wasn't scoring, Clark kept the Hawkeyes in the game with six rebounds and four assists as the Hawkeyes trailed 32-26 at the break.
- In:
- Sports
- Iowa
- Caitlin Clark
- NCAA
veryGood! (111)
Related
- As Trump Enters Office, a Ripe Oil and Gas Target Appears: An Alabama National Forest
- Officials identify 78-year-old man as driver in Florida boating accident that killed teen
- What to do this weekend: Watch 'IF,' stream 'Bridgerton,' listen to new Billie Eilish
- New Hampshire Senate tables bill inspired by state hospital shooting
- 'No Good Deed': Who's the killer in the Netflix comedy? And will there be a Season 2?
- Memphis man gets 80 years in prison for raping a woman a year before jogger’s killing
- NCAA softball tournament bracket, schedule, scores on road to Women's College World Series
- Mike Tyson, Jake Paul exchange insults as second joint press conference turns darker
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- US security alert warns Americans overseas of potential attacks on LGBTQ events
Ranking
- How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
- Pregnant Hailey Bieber and Justin Bieber Are Happier Than Ever During Billie Eilish Date Night
- Paul Skenes nearly untouchable: Phenom tosses six no-hit innings, beats Cubs in second MLB start
- BLM Ends Future Coal Mining on Powder River Basin Federal Lands
- SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters
- The deadline to file for a piece of Apple's $35 million settlement with some iPhone 7 users is approaching. Here's who qualifies.
- Photos and videos capture damage as strong storm slams Houston: 'Downtown is a mess'
- NFL player Harrison Butker is correct about motherhood. He's wrong about our choices.
Recommendation
Trump's 'stop
When does 'Bridgerton' Season 3 Part 2 come out? Release date, cast, how to watch new episodes
35 Father's Day Gift Ideas Under $10 That Your Dad Will Actually Use
Deadly storms slam Houston yet again; hundreds of thousands without power across Texas
DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
Judge dismisses lawsuit by Georgia court candidate who sued to keep talking about abortion
Early Memorial Day Sales You Can Shop Now: J.Crew, Banana Republic, Spanx, Quay, Kate Spade & More
Tyson Fury meets Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight title in Saudi Arabia