It’s going to take a heck of a defensive effort to stop Iowa sharpshooter Caitlin Clark – as South Carolina learned in its national semifinal loss on Friday.
Iowa will take on LSU for the national championship on Sunday. Ahead of the matchup, Hawkeyes coach Lisa Bluder was asked how she would plan to stop Clark if she was facing her instead of coaching her.
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Iowa’s Caitlin Clark reacts after an NCAA Women’s Final Four semifinals basketball game against South Carolina Friday, March 31, 2023, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
“Pray,” she told reporters, via Yahoo Sports.
Clark showcased her sharpshooting abilities in two of the most important games of the Hawkeyes’ season. In both games, she poured on 40-plus points in wins. Sunday will be her 100th of her collegiate career and the milestones have racked up.
Clark has 11 career triple-doubles, 43 career double-doubles, is in the middle of an 89-game streak of scoring in double figures, has made a three-pointer in 56 straight games and is the first Division I women’s basketball player to record more than 1,000 points and 300 assists in a single year.
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Iowa’s Caitlin Clark celebrates after an NCAA Women’s Final Four semifinals basketball game against South Carolina Friday, March 31, 2023, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
LSU’s Kim Mulkey will have to strategize the perfect game plan to curtail what Clark can do – from scoring to dishing the ball to her game-ready teammates.
“I’ve never seen a player – I don’t like to use the word ‘never’ – but I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a player that can do what Caitlin does,” said Mulkey, who led LSU to its first national title game appearance.
“The things she’s capable of doing – one minute you think you’re going to guard her a certain way, then you watch the film and change your mind and go, ‘Oh, that’s not going to work.’ Hopefully, by the end of the day, we’ll come to some conclusion as a staff that we’re going to try this first, and if that doesn’t work, we’ll try this.”
Iowa’s Caitlin Clark reacts after a three-pointer against South Carolina during the NCAA Women’s Final Four semifinals, Friday, March 31, 2023, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
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Iowa and LSU tip-off at 3:30 p.m. ET.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
