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ALBANY, N.Y. — All I can say is that Caitlin Clark never imagined this rematch with LSU. He ponders how close he is to the national championship and plans revenge on those who kept him from winning.
Her game wasn’t like that.
Clark was at his best Monday night as a stone-cold bowler, drilling logos three at a time and making one great pass after another to help LSU end its title hopes again. refused. What about her competitive spirit and her hatred of losing that everyone talks about? LSU felt the heat Monday night.
“We’re focused on Iowa. We’re going to do what Iowa did and come out on top,” Clark said after the game. “It’s not about last year. If you worry too much about the past, you’ll get stuck in it. What’s important is to be in the present, to be at your feet.”
On this night, its feet were firmly planted in LSU’s path. The all-time leading scorer in college basketball did just about everything for the University of Iowa in a 94-87 win that wasn’t as close as the score indicated.
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She scored or assisted on all but seven of Iowa State’s 32 field goals, finishing with 41 points and 12 assists, coming within three rebounds of a triple-double. She bodychecked Angel Reese under the basket in the second quarter, causing her nemesis from last year’s title game to stumble off the court and collide with a cameraman. Reese twisted her ankle, the same injury she sustained in the SEC Tournament. Even though she returned to the game shortly after, she, and LSU, were never the same.
“She’s just a generational player and she just makes everyone around her better. That’s what great players do,” LSU coach Kim Mulkey said of Clark.
The two men lined up to shake hands, and the Hall of Fame coach paid Clark the ultimate compliment.
“What did I say to her? I said, ‘I’m so glad you’re leaving,'” Mulkey said. “I said, ‘Girl, you’re something else. I’ve never seen anything like this.'”
Iowa State will play UConn in the Final Four on Friday night. It would be repeated again, this time from Clark’s freshman year. The Sweet 16 game was billed as a battle between freshman phenom Clark Bueckers and Paige Buccaneer, with UW easily winning 92-72 for Paige.
“We were a young team. We didn’t have any experience,” Clark said.
Now it is. And those experiences, especially the disappointments, hardened Clark and Iowa. Unfortunately, they fell short in last year’s title match.
Clark had 30 points in the loss to LSU. However, she and Hawkeye were defeated and outmaneuvered by Reese. Reese also made headlines when he flashed his ring finger to Clark at the end of the match, and he surpassed him.
Everything was done in a competitive spirit and was great for the match. This dramatically increased interest in women’s basketball and made Monday’s rematch a must-see game on TV. Sequels are rarely as good as the original, and games with this much hype rarely live up to expectations. This was it, and then there were a few more.
Thanks to Mr. Clark.
Flau’jae Johnson had a great performance, finishing with 23 points and almost single-handedly keeping LSU in the game in the second half. Reese had 20 rebounds and 17 points before fouling out in the fourth quarter. LSU pounded Iowa on the glass (54-36) and in the paint (44-36).
But the Tigers could have had every player score in double figures and it still wouldn’t have mattered. Mr. Clark was so determined.
She was almost cracking with intensity, her eyes staring into the holes of the LSU players. Remember last year, when she held off Raven Johnson to win the Final Four against then-undefeated South Carolina? Things took an even worse turn in the third quarter.
With LSU already reeling, Clark stepped in front of Frauge Johnson’s pass and stole it. She ran down the court and looked like she was about to pull up to get another Logo 3. Instead, she threaded the ball past Reese to Sydney Affolter, who laid it up and onto Reese, giving the Hawkeyes a 63-52 lead with 4:03 left in the quarter.
The remaining members of Hawkeye baited Clark, a supernova. Kate Martin had 21 points and six rebounds, helping keep the limping and battered Reese running on fast breaks. Affolter maintained his super sub performance, scoring 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting. Gabby Marshall only made one 3-point field goal, but played her trademark lockdown defense.
Johnson tried to get his team back in the game, and LSU got within single digits early in the fourth quarter. It may have upset other teams, but the Hawkeyes knew that run was coming, Clark said.
There was no need to celebrate, they told themselves. Don’t get caught up in the emotions because LSU will take advantage of that.
“I think the thing I’m most proud of through these two games is just being calm, calm, calm and focused on what we had to do,” Clark said. “I’m not worried about what the other team is doing. I’m not worried about what the referees are making. I’m worried about Iowa’s needs.”
And she always delivered. When Clark hit a 3-pointer from the concourse with 5:05 left, putting Iowa up by 11 points and essentially sealing the victory, she let out an almost primal scream at the Iowa fans. For just a few seconds, she let her guard down and unleashed a year’s worth of her anger and her desire.
Reese and LSU beat her once. She wasn’t going to let them do it again.
“Yes, we want to win a national title, probably 100 other Division I basketball teams said that at the start of the season,” Clark said. “A lot of people end up being disappointed and I think that’s what drives you because last year it was so close.
“That’s why we were able to play such good basketball,” she added. “We don’t want this to end.”
Clark and Iowa are still playing. She was sure of it.
Follow USA TODAY sports columnist Nancy Armor on social media @nrarmour.
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