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Caitlin Clark-led Hawkeyes defeated No. 6 Michigan 95-68 on Saturday in the Big Ten semifinals. Next up, No. 2 Iowa will take on No. 5 Nebraska on Sunday to defend its title for a third time in a row. Clark's freshman year appearance ended in a title-game loss to Maryland.
Speaking on the team's fourth time in the conference final, the $3.1m NIL-valued (per On3) Caitlin Clark said (via Hawk Central):
“I'm like, ‘I don't know how to do this tournament any other way.’ I pack for three days, I pack for four days, that’s just what we do. I think it was to my advantage we made it my freshman year. And then my sophomore year and junior year, that’s all we know. It’s just what we do.”
Regardless of the continuous wins, Clark remains humble as ever, adding:
“It's never anything you take for granted,” Clark said. “And obviously we're trying to make it three in a row tomorrow.”
On Saturday, the Iowa guard put up 28 points with 15 assists bringing her total points for this season to 1,020 points. This is her second time scoring at least 1,000 points in a season after 1,055 as a junior. With this, Clark became the first Division I women's player to score at least 1,000 points in multiple seasons.
Clark is also 90 points away from breaking Kelsey Plum's 1,109 points for the NCAA single-season scoring record. Plum set this during the 2016-17 at Washington.
Caitlin Clark's teammates show up to secure a win
Saturday night was not a solo effort for Caitlin Clark, as her teammates also stepped up. Hannah Stuelke scored 16 points with three rebounds on 7-for-7 shooting. Kate Martin added 13 points and six rebounds, while Sydney Affolter put up 12 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and two steals.
The game was closely contested in the first half, with Michigan taking the lead (25-17) in the final minute. However, Iowa caught up as they wrapped the quarter 25-22, thanks to a 3-pointer from Gabbie Marshall, assisted by Clark.
In the second quarter, the Hawkeyes went 29-28 within two minutes from the start and widened the gap from there. After half-time, Iowa continued to add more points while containing the Wolverines from scoring.
As Clark's time at Iowa comes to a close, it seems like the Hawkeyes and the guard are doing everything they can to end it on a high. Clark declared for the 2024 WNBA draft and as the projected No. 1 pick, she is likely to join Indiana Fever.
