Caitlin Clark and Iowa knocked off previously undefeated South Carolina in the second semifinal on Friday. Can the Hawkeyes complete a memorable season with a national title or will LSU win it all in coach Kim Mulkey’s second year? Iowa is a favorite, albeit a small one, for Sunday’s title game in Dallas.
In a tournament where two No. 1 seeds were knocked out in the first week, the title game will not feature a No. 1 seed. LSU, a No. 3 seed, beat No. 1 seed Virginia Tech 79-72 in the first semifinal. Alexis Morris scored 27 points and Angel Reese had 24 points and 12 rebounds. The Tigers outscored the Hokies 29-13 in the fourth quarter.
Meanwhile, Clark scored a semifinal-record 41 points despite shooting 5-for-17 from 3-point range against the Gamecocks on Friday. The Hawkeyes raced out to a hot start, leading by nine after the first quarter, but the lead was cut down to just one by halftime. Iowa again built the lead to nine early in the third quarter and only trailed once, briefly, in a close fourth quarter of a 77-73 win.
Clark had eight assists and six rebounds to go with her 41 points. She also had eight turnovers. The decisive matchup might have been on the inside where Monika Czinano had 18 points on 6-for-8 shooting while 6-foot-5 Aliyah Boston was just 2-for-9 from…
