ALBANY, N.Y. — The first game of the Elite 8 will be a rematch of the 2023 NCAA championship game between the LSU Tigers and the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Last year, the two programs drew in 9.9 million viewers as the Tigers rolled to a 102-85 win over the Hawkeyes to claim their first championship in program history. Superstars Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark battled on the court in what was the most-watched NCAA women’s championship.
This year, LSU and Iowa are likely to draw record viewership again, though only one will have a chance to continue on to the Final Four in hopes of returning to the title game.
CBS Sports headed to the LSU and Iowa locker rooms to gauge how the players were feeling about their latest performance. Both locker rooms gave off an aura of accomplishment, and perhaps the smallest sigh of relief. Here’s what they said:
Iowa isn’t dwelling on the past
Despite the familiarity with their opponent, Iowa is focused on the current Tigers, not last year’s championship opponent.
“I think overall it’s just going to be a really great game for women’s basketball,” Caitlin Clark said postgame. “They’re really solid one through five. We know we are going to have to rebound the…
