Caitlin Clark, Iowa return to NCAA final with tight win over UConn

CLEVELAND — The battle between Iowa and UConn at the Final Four came down to its last crucial — and bizarre — moments.

In the end, the top-seeded Hawkeyes and consensus National Player of the Year Caitlin Clark emerged with a 71-69 victory over the third-seeded Huskies on Friday, sending Iowa to its second consecutive national final.

The Hawkeyes (34-4) will face another No. 1 seed, South Carolina (37-0), in the championship game on Sunday. It will be in a rematch of one of last season’s national semifinals.

“We know what South Carolina brings to the table,” Clark said. “We know we’re going to have our hands full.”

With the Huskies down by one point and nine seconds left, UConn’s KK Arnold stole the ball. However, on the ensuing possession, the referees whistled UConn’s Aaliyah Edwards for an illegal screen with 3.9 seconds left, handing the ball back to Iowa.

Clark was fouled, hit the first free throw and missed the next, but Iowa got the rebound with 1.1 seconds to go. On the second of two inbounds plays, the Hawkeyes got a pass in to clinch the win.

“I’m just frustrated with the loss,” UConn’s Paige Bueckers said. “I mean, we can talk about officiating, but players play. Players decide the game.”

Clark finished with 21 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. The scoring total tied Clark’s season-low that was set in November, when she played just 26 minutes in a neutral-site rout of Florida Gulf Coast.

Against UConn, Clark shot just 7-for-18 from the floor and 3-for-11 from 3-point range. Hannah Stuelke picked up the scoring load for the Hawkeyes, tallying 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting.

“Couldn’t be happier with our performance tonight in the second half,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “I thought Hannah Stuelke was amazing tonight.”

The Huskies (33-6) were powered by 17 points apiece from Edwards and Bueckers, while Arnold added 14 points.

UConn led by as many as 12 points in the first half and was effective early on at stifling and frustrating Clark, the all-time leading scorer among men and women in the history of Division I college basketball. The Iowa megastar finished the first half with just six points on 3-of-11 shooting, including an 0-for-6 mark on 3-point attempts.

“Yeah, our defense was good enough to make sure we won the game tonight,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “But offensively we just didn’t have enough impactful players play their normal game.”

In the third quarter, Stuelke took over for Iowa, scoring 11 points. Her offensive rebound late in the frame turned into second-chance points for Sydney Affolter, giving Iowa a brief two-point advantage. A layup by Edwards sent the game into the final period tied at 51-51.

“I think tonight, (Stuelke) played with an energy about herself — she really could go in there and dominate,” Clark said. “She goes toe to toe with Aaliyah Edwards, who in my mind is one of the best players in the country.”

Stuelke opened the fourth with a layup, and Clark then sent the crowd into a frenzy by swishing a step-back 3-pointer with a UConn defender guarding her closely. Those two baskets sparked a 15-6 Iowa run, giving the Hawkeyes a nine-point lead with less than six minutes to go.

UConn charged back. Nika Muhl’s 3-pointer from the top of the key with 41 seconds left trimmed Iowa’s advantage to one point. Then, after all the chaos, Clark’s free throw produced the final point of the game.

—Mitchell Northam, Field Level Media/Reuters