The Iowa Hawkeyes are going back to the Final Four. Caitlin Clark and Co. took down LSU with a 94-87 win in the Elite Eight after the Tigers beat the Hawkeyes in last season's national championship game. Clark finished with 41 points, seven rebounds and 12 assists in yet another incredible performance on the big stage. Her nine 3-pointers tied a record for an NCAA Tournament game, and in the process she passed Diana Taurasi for the most 3s ever in the NCAA Tournament.
It was all Hawkeyes early in the game, as they pushed the pace and knocked down 3-pointers from all over the court. The Tigers had a quick response, though, as Angel Reese led a 10-0 run at the end of the frame to put her team ahead at the end of opening frame. Reese then tweaked her ankle in the second quarter, which proved to be a turning point.
The Hawkeyes evened things up going into the break, then surged in front in the third quarter thanks to a series of deep triples by Clark. They built an 11-point lead heading into the fourth and remained in control the rest of the way. A short surge at the start of the fourth was the last gasp for the Tigers, and by the time Reese fouled out late in the fourth quarter, the game was essentially decided.
Iowa will play the winner of USC and UConn on Friday night in Cleveland.
Let's take a closer look at some of the key takeaways as the Hawkeyes prepare to head to their their Final Four in program history.
Clark continues to deliver magical performances
Caitlin Clark was not always at her best early in the tournament, but she was on Monday night as she delivered one of her best performances of the season when her team needed it the most. In doing so, Clark showed exactly why she's been regarded as one of the best college basketball players of all time, and will be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft later this month.
She took advantage of some poor defensive decisions by LSU early in the game to get some easy looks from behind the arc, and never looked back. By the time the Tigers tightened up defensively, there was nothing they could do. Clark showed off her outrageous range and off-the-dribble shooting ability time and again in the second half to help the Hawkeyes pull away.
Clark's outside shooting is her true super power, but she is far from a 3-point specialist. She's also an elite playmaker, particularly in transition, and created a number of easy baskets for her teammates, who were willing to run hard and often beat the Tigers down the floor.
This was the Caitlin Clark show everyone was hoping to see. She is now the first player with three 40-point tournament games, and either scored or assisted on 67 of the Hawkeyes' 94 points.
Reese's ankle a literal turning point
Iowa got off to a hot start, but Angel Reese took over the game on both ends of the floor late in the first quarter. She was dominating on the offensive glass, causing havoc defensively and ripped off a personal 6-0 run at one point. Thanks to her stellar play, the Tigers took a five-point lead at the end of the first quarter.
Early in the second quarter, though, she was called for a foul while contesting Clark at the rim, and stumbled backwards off the court. As she did so, she tweaked her ankle and immediately checked out of the game. While she didn't stay on the bench long, she was hobbling when she came back on the floor and did not move with her usual quickness the rest of the night.
Reese soldiered on until she fouled out late in the fourth quarter, and still finished with 17 points, 20 rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals in a gutsy effort. However, she was 5-of-7 from the field in the first quarter and 2-of-14 the rest of the way. Iowa sent multiple bodies her way, and she does struggle to finish at times, but it was clear she wasn't at 100%.
The big question is whether that will be Reese's final college game. She is a projected top-10 pick in the WNBA Draft, but can use her COVID-19 eligibility extension to return to school should she wish. During her post-game press conference, Reese was non-committal. "I'll make a decision when I'm ready," she said.
Affolter's rise continues
Sydney Affolter barely played in her first two seasons at Iowa, and while her playing time increased in her Junior year, she primarily came off the bench. That all changed when Molly Davis went down with a knee injury during the team's win over Ohio State in the final game of the regular season.
Affolter has started all seven games since then, including Monday night's Elite Eight showdown. In the biggest moment of her career, she stepped up to give the Hawkeyes some much needed secondary production. She played 37 of the 40 minutes and finished with 16 points and five rebounds on 5-of-10 from the field.
This was her sixth double-digit scoring performance in this seven-game stretch, and her 16 points were the second-most she's scored in her career. Prior to becoming a regular starter, Affolter had only reached double figures 11 times in 86 games. She loves to run in transition, which makes her a perfect target for Clark, and has been extremely efficient with her looks. During this stretch, Affolter is averaging 13.4 points on 56.6% from the field.
She will understandably not get as much attention as Clark or even Kate Martin and Hannah Stuelke, but Affolter has been vital to the Hawkeyes' return to the Final Four.
CBS Sports was with you throughout the entire way on Monday with live updates, analysis and highlights.
