The national final game that nobody predicted is here. For the first time in 12 years, the championship will not feature a No. 1 seed, and the winning team will celebrate the first national title in program history. Neither LSU nor Iowa has ever even competed in the final game of the season, though Kim Mulkey is 3-0 in title games as a head coach, all at Baylor.
The Hawkeyes slayed the giants of college basketball to get to this point, and LSU had to play the highest possible opposing seed in four of five rounds, including a victory over top seed Virginia Tech in the Final Four. Both teams have shaken off regular-season concerns — Iowa’s defensive inconsistency and LSU’s weak schedule — to be playing their best basketball against the toughest competition when it matters most.
Here’s what to watch for from both sides when the Hawkeyes and the Tigers face each other at 3:30 p.m. (ET) Sunday.
How does LSU beat Iowa?
Make Caitlin Clark play defense
Alexis Morris was impressed with Clark as she watched the second half of Iowa’s defeat of South Carolina on Sunday, complimenting the Hawkeyes star’s shooting range and ability to hit contested shots. She offered an important note for the assembled media when she said, “Caitlin is going to have to play defense tomorrow.”…
