Caitlin Clark knows top-seeded Iowa has its hands full against overall No. 1 seed and unbeaten South Carolina’s in Sunday’s NCAA Tournament women’s national championship game in Cleveland. Clark’s final college game either results in her first title or ends with the Gamecocks finishing with one of the most historic seasons in history, resulting in Dawn Staley’s third national championship at the program.
“I think this matchup, you can’t ask for anything better,” Clark said Sunday, via Hawkeye Insider. “I think it speaks to the way women’s basketball has been tremendous on all levels all throughout the year. We know we have our hands full. Everybody around the country knows South Carolina has been the team all year. They’ve observed that. They’ve earned it. They’ve just been incredible.
“I’ve turned on the TV most of the times they’ve played because they’re so much fun to watch. The depth that they have, the way they rebound the ball, the way they’re shooting the ball. They’ve just been incredible.”
Several of South Carolina’s players mentioned Sunday’s finale being a “revenge game” after losing to the Hawkeyes in last year’s Final Four.
“I give them that space,” Staley said after the Gamecocks’ win over NC State. “Whatever it is that can get them to execute and play in practice the way we need to prep for games, have at it. For me is it’s about coaching and teaching and figuring out a way to allow our players to have their dreams come true. I don’t attach anything to our team besides being disciplined in how we need to play. Whatever Raven (Johnson) needs to keep her playing at a high confident level, whether it’s revenge tour or whatever she comes up with, because every day she’ll come up with something. If you go ask her a question, she’ll say something else. It’s all kinds of tours. But I hope it ends in being the national champion.”
Iowa survived an upset scare against UConn after a late controversial foul call disrupted the Huskies chance for a go-ahead bucket in the final seconds. The Hawkeyes held on to set up one last college game for Clark, who previously declared for the 2024 WNBA Draft.
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Iowa already drew record TV ratings for its Elite Eight win against LSU last week, then further increased those numbers during the win over UConn. Clark and the Hawkeyes expect to grab the attention of millions of viewers for the national title game against South Carolina.
Cody Nagel contributed to this report.
