McKenna Warnock pulled down what was essentially the game-winning offensive rebound and Caitlin Clark iced a 77-73 national semifinal win for the No. 2 seed Iowa Hawkeyes with a 4-of-4 effort at the free throw line down the stretch Friday night at American Airlines Center in Dallas.
Clark finished with a NCAAW semifinal-record 41 points to go along with eight assists and six rebounds as the Hawkeyes knocked off the undefeated, national championship-defending No. 1 overall seed South Carolina Gamecocks, a team some thought was unbeatable.
Clark recorded the first-ever NCAAW Tournament 30-point triple-double in her previous outing (hers was a 40-point triple-double).
Warnock’s offensive rebound came after Aliyah Boston forced a jump ball and Iowa maintained possession up 73-71. Clark then went for a deep, step-back dagger three that went off the backboard and out at 21 seconds remaining before Warnock hauled it in. South Carolina had to foul twice before sending Clark to the line, where she went 2-of-2 with 14 seconds remaining.
Raven Johnson then rebounded a Zia Cooke miss from the perimeter and put in a quick layup that maintained hope for the Gamecocks, cutting their deficit to 75-73 with nine ticks left.
After two more Clark free throws, South Carolina was less…
