A stifling UConn defense held Caitlin Clark and Iowa to their worst first half of the season.
It wasn’t enough.
The Hawkeyes found their footing in the third quarter then battled through the fourth to rally past the Huskies and secure a trip to the national championship game.
The game swung in the the final 10 seconds on a controversial offensive foul on UConn. The Huskies had a chance to take a go-ahead shot after forcing a late turnover. But officials whistled Aaliyah Edwards for an illegal screen with 3.9 seconds remaining, giving Iowa possession of the ball with a 70-69 lead.
The Hawkeyes held on for the 71-69 victory after the controversial foul.
After failing to hit a 3-pointer in a six-point first half, Clark finished with 21 points to help led Iowa to victory.
The win sets up a showdown with 37-0 South Carolina, which defeated NC State in Friday’s other national semifinal to secure its spot in the title game. There, the Gamecocks will look to avenge last season’s Final Four loss to Iowa that thwarted their 2023 effort at a perfect season.
Things looked bad for the Hawkeyes at halftime. Nika Muhl shadowed Clark to lead a concerted UConn defensive effort that forced Clark into spots where she wasn’t comfortable. The result was the worst half of Iowa’s season and the worst for Clark in a long time by several measures.
The 26-point tally was the lowest of the season for an Iowa team that leads the nation with 91.9 points per game. A team that averages 13.9 turnovers per game gave the ball away 12 times before halftime.
For Clark, it marked the first NCAA tournament game in her career where she didn’t hit a 3 in the first half. She finished the half with six points in an 0-for-6 3-point effort that put her 47-game streak with 20 points or more in jeopardy.
But UConn’s 32-26 halftime lead stood at just two possessions despite the defensive effort. It wouldn’t withstand a second-half Iowa surge.
After six first-half misses, Clark hit her first 3 of the game with 8:09 remaining in the third quarter to cut UConn’s lead to 36-34.
An and-1 3 with 3:49 left in the quarter set up a four-point play to cut UConn’s lead to 44-43.
With 2:34 left in the quarter, Hannah Stuelke hit two free throws to give Iowa its first lead since the opening minute of the game at 47-45. The foul on UConn’s KK Arnold was her fourth of the game. Iowa and UConn went into the fourth quarter tied at 51.
After trailing by 12 in the first half, Iowa extended its lead to as much a 66-59 late in the third quarter. But UConn forced Iowa into a battle into the game’s final seconds before the controversial late call set up Iowa to hold on for victory.
Source Agencies
