Iowa Hawkeyes superstar point guard Caitlin Clark has been in the national spotlight this entire season, and her emergence as one of the greatest college basketball players in history cannot be denied.
Last season, the Hawkeyes took on the LSU Tigers in the national championship and lost with a final score of 102-85. As fate would have it, the Tigers and Hawkeyes met again on April 1 in an Elite Eight encounter, leading to a “revenge” victory for Clark and the Hawkeyes.
The Hawkeyes beat their adversary 94-87, with Clark pouring in a ridiculous 41 points en route to their entrance to the Final Four. While the game was an instant classic, Iowa will now face off against UConn.
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UConn took down USC in their Elite Eight matchup Monday, punching their own ticket to the Final Four, and producing a showdown of Clark vs Huskies star guard Paige Bueckers. While this game could also prove to be a four-quarter-long highlight reel, Clark has some extra motivation to take down her next opponent.
Clark revealed to ESPN’s Wright Thompson that she dreamed of playing for UConn, but was completely shut down by Geno Auriemma.
Thompson writes, “Caitlin Clark wanted to go to UConn, but [head coach] Geno Auriemma never once showed up to Clark’s open gyms or talked to Clark or her family about going to UConn.”
Clark doubled down on this revelation, by stating, “I loved UConn. I think they’re the coolest place on Earth… but they never talked to my family and never talked to me.”
Thompson also revealed that Clark had a caricature made which showcased her in a UConn jersey from an amusement park she had attended. Auriemma might have had the most dominant team in NCAAW history if Clark had committed to the Huskies, and was paired with Bueckers.
Now, the pair of college basketball stars will face off on Friday, April 5. Bueckers dropped 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists in UConn’s victory against USC.
Conversely, Clark dropped 41 points, 7 rebounds, and 12 assists in Iowa’s dominant win against LSU. We imagine both women will be on their A-game to secure a championship berth.
Clark is currently posting an average of 32.3 points per game for the postseason, along with 7.3 rebounds per game, 10 assists per game, and 2 blocks per game. Buckers is posting 28 points per game, 9 rebounds per game, 5 assists per game, 3.3 blocks per game, and 1.5 steals per game.
UConn and Iowa could prove to be another classic matchup. The NCAA Tournament has been highly exciting, and Clark vs Bueckers should be chock full of back-and-forth points.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.