No. 3 Iowa had a bit of a scare on Thursday against a persistent eighth-ranked Virginia Tech team, but the Hawkeyes walked away with an 80-76 victory behind a 44-point performance by star Caitlin Clark.
There was never any doubt that Iowa, fresh off its first-ever NCAA Championship Game appearance, was going to be a good team this season. However, playing a Top 10 opponent, especially one as experienced and talented as Virginia Tech, is never easy. Thursday’s game was a good test for both squads, and they got to do it in front of a crowd of 15,196 — the largest crowd for a women’s basketball game in North Carolina — as part of the Ally Tipoff in Charlotte.
Here are some takeaways for Iowa:
Caitlin Clark keeps dominating
In the words of NBA legend Dwyane Wade, “Caitlin Clark is simply good at basketball! That’s all…”
Clark put up historic numbers last season and it seems like she is not slowing down anytime soon. The senior guard registered her 38th career game with 30-plus points on Thursday. That ties Kelsey Plum’s record for the most 30-point games in the last 25 years.
She struggled early in the game, going 6-for-15 from the field — including 1-of-7 from beyond the arc — during the…
