Caitlin Clark’s 3s are dangerous, but her passing propelled Iowa to the Sweet 16

When Caitlin Clark takes the court, the most thrilling outcome is when she sinks a deep 3-pointer. A close second? When the nation’s assists leader whips out a behind-the-back feed or an outlet pass in transition.

The All-America guard has rightly made waves with her scoring and pro-level shooting range. But her passing is equally audacious and just as necessary for Iowa’s success.

As defenses load up on Clark and her pick-and-roll partner Monika Czinano, Clark’s ability to find the open player in increasingly narrow passing angles continues to buoy the Hawkeyes offense, flummoxing defenses all the way to the Sweet 16, where on Friday second-seeded Iowa faces No. 6 Colorado.

“They’re setting ball screens, and (Clark’s) reading our coverages and making perfect passes to the appropriate person, and that makes it really tough to defend,” Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff said during the Big Ten tournament. “For example, she’s coming off a ball screen, and Monika’s rolling, so we’re helping to take away the roll, and she’s throwing a bullet pass to the person we’re helping off of. And I think that’s where she’s really, really grown. I think early on it was about scoring, but she sees the floor and makes the right decisions as well as anybody I’ve seen,…