Revenge is a dish best served cold — and for Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes, it may only be an appetizer.
In a rematch of the most-watched game in women’s basketball history, the 2023 NCAA Championship, coach Lisa Bluder’s Hawkeyes outperformed Kim Mulkey’s Tigers for a 94-87 Elite 8 victory in Albany on Monday night. With the win, Iowa advances to it second straight Final Four, where the Hawkeyes will have a chance at a coveted main course: The first national championship in program history.
It was 364 days earlier that the same two teams met with an NCAA title on the line, only for Angel Reese and LSU to dispatch Clark’s Hawkeyes, 102-85, in front of a television audience of nearly 10 million viewers.
This year, with both teams playing in the same region of the NCAA Tournament, things were considerably different. Reese would foul out in what will likely be her final college game, while Clark, with her 41 points and 12 assists, was simply too much in a full 40 minutes of action.
‘She’s just a generational player, and she just makes everybody around her better,’ Mulkey said of Clark, the likely top pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft. ‘That’s what the great ones do.’
Caitlin Clark scored or assisted on 25 of Iowa’s 32 fields goals on Monday night in Albany
Angel Reese wipes away a tear after LSU’s bid to repeat as national champs fell short
Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark (22) celebrates with teammates after Iowa’s win over LSU
Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates after beating the LSU Tigers in the Elite 8
Clark’s performance was simply another chapter in a masterclass senior season that saw her surpass another LSU legend, Pete Maravich, for the most points in the history of Division I basketball.
Not only was it her fifth 40-point outburst of the season, but by making nine 3-pointers, Clark surpassed UConn legend Diana Taurasi’s NCAA Tournament record of 61 career makes from deep.
‘Caitlin’s very skilled,’ said LSU guard Hailey Van Lilth, who was tasked with defending Clark for much of the night. ‘She’s a great player. She hit some tough shots. There’s not a whole lot you can do about some of the threes she hit.’
‘How do you defend that?’ Bluder asked, speaking of Clark’s mid-court shooting range. ‘It’s nearly impossible.’
And as brilliant as her shooting was on Monday, her passing may have been even better thanks to a series of brilliant backdoor looks.
In total, Clark scored or assisted on 25 of Iowa’s 32 field goals.
‘She had 12 assists,’ Mulkey sad. ‘Caitlin Clark is not going to beat you by herself. It’s what she does to make those other teammates better that helps her score points and them score points to beat you.’
Iowa’s Caitlin Clark (22) drives against LSU’s Mikaylah Williams (12) and guard Hailey Van Lith
The game opened with a bit of confusion as LSU was not on the court for the national anthem.
But, as Mulkey explained later, there wasn’t any political statement being made by the team. Rather, the Tigers were adhering to their usual pre-game routine and for some reason that remains unclear, they were still in the locker room.
When LSU players did finally arrive, the style of play quickly favored Clark and the Hawkeyes.
The reigning NCAA Player of the Year opened the scoring with a 3-pointer over LSU’s Van Lilth — a transfer from Louisville who also surrendered 41 points and 12 assists to Clark in last year’s Elite 8.
‘I thought my shot felt good in warmups. And it certainly helps when you make your first three as a shooter when you can see the ball go in,’ Clark said.
LSU’s Angel Reese – AKA Bayou Barbie – was a defensive force on Monday in Albany
Bluder’s team didn’t let their foot off the gas, picking up five quick points off turnovers as Clark poured in eight and three assists, including a brilliant backdoor feed to Gabbie Marshall for an easy layup.
In particular, Iowa’s zone defense gave LSU some early fits, but that wouldn’t last.
Mulkey fired off a timeout down 17-9, and appeared to get the desired reaction from her players, who picked up their own defensive intensity for the remainder of the first half.
First it was Reese, who robbed an entry pass from Clark and returned it at the other end for an easy layup and the Tigers’ first lead of the game.
One possession later, it was the entire LSU defense who forced Clark into a five-second violation on an inbounds pass underneath the basket.
And Reese wasn’t done. After another steal, she found Mikaylah Williams for an easy bucket at the other end to push the lead to 31-26 entering the second, where things only intensified.
A slugfest ensued for the remainder of the half. After leading by nine, Iowa found itself trailing by eight in the second before clawing back in the final minute before halftime.
The frame ended with Iowa’s Addison O’Grady taking a deft pass from Clark for an easy bucket at one end only for LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson to answer at the other to send the teams into the locker rooms tied at 45.
Hailey Van Lith #11 of LSU shoots the ball over Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes
But for as competitive as the second quarter was, the third frame belonged to Iowa and Clark, who showed off her skillset with four long-range 3-pointers and three more assists as the Hawkeyes pushed their lead to 11.
‘Third quarter she came out with a different look in her eye,’ Bluder said of Clark.
LSU, meanwhile, was starting to feel the pressure.
Van Lith, who was recovering from an illness and required fluids in the the first half, had a pair of costly turnovers while Reese sent cold from the field.
As a result, LSU went just 5 of 26 in the third while failing to make a single 3-point attempt. If it weren’t for the Tiger’s rebounding edge (44-27 entering the final quarter), LSU might not have had a chance in the fourth.
Reese, meanwhile, aggravated an ankle injury in the first half, and while she refused to use that as an excuse when speaking to reporters post game, the LSU star did not have the same impact in the second half.
She would finish with a game-high 20 rebounds, but her couldn’t do anything to stop the surging Clark over the game’s final frame.
‘I thought we just played a really good basketball game,’ Clark said. ‘When they went on their runs, we always had an answer, and that’s all you can ask of your team.’
Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark (22) controls the ball against LSU Lady Tigers guard Flau’jae Johnson (4) and LSU Lady Tigers forward Angel Reese
In fairness, Iowa players didn’t see Monday as an opportunity for revenge. Their goal remains the first national championship in Hawkeyes history, and beating LSU only served to keep that dream alive next week in Cleveland.
‘It’s not about last year,’ Clark said. ‘You worry too much about the past, you’re going to get caught up in that. It’s about being present, being where your feet are.
‘Don’t worry about being in the Final Four, be in this moment, be in the Elite 8, enjoy that and soak that in. That’s what’s going to allow you to win 40 minutes, and that’s exactly what we did.’
And for that matter, LSU players didn’t seem to be harboring any grudges against Iowa.
They may have been disappointed to lose, but Reese, Van Lith and Johnson all agreed that it’s an honor to bring attention to women’s basketball through their riveting rivalry with Iowa.
‘I think it’s just great for the sport, just being able to be a part of history,’ Reese said. ‘Like I said, no matter which way it went tonight, I know this was going to be a night for the ages. And just being able to be a part of history is great.’
And similar to other basketball rivalries, such as Larry Bird-Magic Johnson or LeBron James-Stephen Curry, Reese and Clark have brought out the best in each other.
Rather than animosity and bitterness, the two ended their final college battle with by showing the other the respect they deserve.
‘She just told me, continue to be a great player,’ Reese told reporters of her post-game exchange with Clark. ‘I told her continue to be a great player, as well, and keep elevating the game and go win it.’
IOWA-LSU: THE BACKSTORY
BY ALEX RASKIN
It’s rare that an Elite 8 matchup could get more attention than an NCAA Tournament finale, but that could be the case this year as Iowa and Louisiana State met in Albany on Monday for a rematch of the 2023 championship.
A year ago, LSU’s 102-85 victory over Iowa in the title game scored nearly 10 million viewers, making it the most-watched women’s basketball game ever.
The primary players were all back this time: LSU coach Kim Mulkey and her star, ‘Bayou Barbie’ Angel Reese, as well as Iowa coach Lisa Bluder and Caitlin Clark, the reigning NCAA Player of the Year.
And what little roster turnover there was only seemed to enhance this budding rivalry.
Bluder successfully replaced Monika Czinano’s scoring with power forward Hannah Stuelke, while guiding Gabbie Marshall and Kate Martin to larger roles in 2023-24.
Mulkey, meanwhile was forced to replace Jasmine Carson, LaDazhia Williams and Alexis Morris, who combined for 65 points in last year’s final as Morris stepped up to ‘hold’ Clark to 30 points on defense.
This season, Mulkey relied heavily on the perimeter defense of sophomore Flau’jae Johnson as well as two transfers: ex-DePaul star Aneesah Morrow and former Louisville guard Hailey Van Lith.
Caitlin Clark is seen being defended by then-Louisville guard Hailey Van Lith in 2023
It’s a rematch of last year’s title game in which Reese’s Tigers beat Clark’s Hawkeyes
And Monday wasn’t the first time Van Lith had faced Clark in the Elite 8. A year earlier, with her Cardinals facing Clark’s Hawkeyes in Seattle, Van Lith was outscored 41-27 by the Player of the Year as Iowa advanced to its first Final Four since 1993.
Along the way, Clark famously appeared to taunt Van Lith with wrestler John Cena’s ‘You Can’t See Me’ hand gesture after burying her sixth 3-pointer of the night.
Van Lith has since claimed the gesture was actually directed at Iowa’s strength coach and not her, but there was certainly a degree of trash talking going on between herself and Clark. Another clip towards the end of Iowa’s win showed Clark telling Van Lith ‘you’re down by 15 points, shut up.’
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese will renew their rivalry in the Elite Eight on Monday night
Clark would get a taste of her own medicine a week later.
After upsetting defending-champion South Carolina in the Final Four, Clark was on the receiving end of Cena’s ‘You Can’t See Me’ routine, only that night, it was LSU’s Reese performing the honors.
The trio will forever be linked by the ensuing controversy, whether they even cared about it or not.
For her part, Clark said she didn’t think Reese deserved accusations of bad sportsmanship. Van Lith, meanwhile, has suggested that detractors were more critical of Reese than Clark for doing the same gesture because of a racist double standard.
Undeniably, none of that mattered on Monday in Albany.
For that matter, neither did the Kim Mulkey saga.
Mulkey had been at the center of a media firestorm since blasting Washington Post reporter Kent Babb over a piece that wouldn’t be published until March 25. The profile raised questions about her treatment of LGBTQ+ players and quotes family members who say they have not talked to the decorated coach in several years.
Head coach Kim Mulkey of the LSU Tigers looks on during the first half on Monday
Mulkey accused Babb of writing a one-sided ‘hit piece,’ although she admitted she declined the opportunity to give her side of the story for months before the article’s release.
She has even threatened to sue the Washington Post: ‘The lawyers will review it, and when this season is over, they’ll give me a call and say, this is our next step. I’m not reading that stuff.’
If Mulkey feared the WaPo article would serve as a distraction, her players proved otherwise in a 78-69 Sweet 16 victory over UCLA.
Iowa, meanwhile, had an even easier time with Colorado in the Sweet 16, winning 89-68.
And with that, the most-anticipated rematch in the history of women’s basketball was set.
