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The rematch is here.
A year after LSU and Angel Reese defeated Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the women’s national championship, a game that featured Logo 3 and trash talk, the teams will meet again. It’s another contrast in style, and it’s a matchup that’s sure to grab attention. Iowa likes to score from the perimeter, and LSU hammers it in the paint. And this time, a spot in the Final Four is at stake.
Top-seeded Iowa State, led by a leading player of the year candidate, will play No. 3 seed LSU in the Albany 2 Regional Championship on Monday at 7 p.m. ET. The winner advances to the Final Four in Cleveland.
LSU is seeking its first back-to-back championships since UConn won in 2016, and Iowa State is seeking its second consecutive Final Four appearance for the first time.
A lot has happened since the two teams met at American Airlines Arena and LSU defeated Iowa State 102-85.
Follow the madness: NCAA basketball brackets, scores, schedules, teams, and more.
Last year, Caitlin Clark became a household name as she became the face of women’s college basketball and became Division I’s all-time leading scorer, regardless of gender. She is beloved throughout the Midwest, and her Big Ten arenas are packed all season. She got her own cereal, appeared in a State Her Farm commercial, and almost single-handedly pushed the sport to greater national prominence than ever before.
Read more about LSU:Coach Kim Mulkey is exposed to a harsher lens than male coaches.
Meanwhile, Reese has signed with Reebok and is rolling out her own Bayou Barbie line at DICK’s Sporting Goods, mentored by none other than Shaquille O’Neal. She has said many times that she tries to set an example for “girls who look like me” without being bad about her cheeky play or her badmouthing.
They returned to this place by very different paths. The University of Iowa almost made it through the NCAA Tournament, overcoming a brief scare against West Virginia in the second round. To advance, LSU had to win a tough Sweet 16 game against second-seeded UCLA (a game that featured eight ties and 13 lead changes). Additionally, there has been a lot of outside buzz surrounding Kim Mulkey, with some claiming that several high-profile articles written about her angered her and distracted the Tigers.
LSU defeated Iowa State last year with Jasmine Carson scoring 22 points off the bench. Four of the Tigers’ starters scored in double figures. They owned the boards, outscoring Iowa 37-26 and forcing the Hawkeyes into 16 turnovers. Clark shot 30 shots in the game, but was only 9 of 22 from the field. All but three of her shots were 3s, and the Tigers clogged the lane and forced her to pass. She had a good performance, recording eight assists, and her teammates made 19 of 34 for the game. But Iowa made too many 3s, giving up 30 and had no answer for Reese in the paint.
This year’s roster also looks quite different. Iowa State lost All-American Monica Czinano, and LSU added All-American Haley Van Lith from Louisville. The Tigers also acquired Mikayla Williams, one of the top freshmen in the 2023 class, who started all season and averaged 14.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists. Reese, the 2024 SEC Player of the Year, was as dominant as ever with 18.7 points and 13.2 rebounds.
Clark led the nation in scoring all season, posting 31.8 points per game and 8.8 assists per game, a season-high 307 points per game. However, sophomore Hannah Stuelke has improved dramatically, ranking second on the team with 14.1 points per game.
LSU gets to the line more than any team in the country, averaging 27.2 attempts per game. Although Clark has received criticism for his frequent complaints, he also knows how to answer the phone. Will this game come down to the charity stripe?
We will learn on Monday.
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