Virginia Women’s Basketball Upsets Iowa State
The Virginia women’s basketball team surprised everyone on Monday by defeating No. 2 seed Iowa State in a thrilling tournament game.
This victory wasn’t just the result of hard work on the court—it was also supported by generous donations from key backers.
One notable donor is Alexis Ohanian, the American entrepreneur and Reddit co-founder. He shared in an interview with Front Office Sports that he stepped up as a significant contributor to the program.
Ohanian recounted, “I called and said, ‘I want to consider UVA, please tell me what I need to do.'” His wife, Serena Williams, also feels proud about supporting the women’s basketball program through this donation.
On the court, the 10th-seeded Cavaliers triumphed with an 83-75 double overtime win against the Hawkeyes, marking Iowa’s second consecutive early exit from the tournament.
Kyimora Johnson, who averages 19.5 points per game, was exceptional, scoring 28 points, while Parris Clark contributed another 20. Despite trailing 25-11 early in the third quarter, the Cavaliers fought back and secured an eight-point lead in overtime to clinch the victory.
This upset comes amid ongoing discussions about equity in women’s college basketball. For context, the top-seeded UW team dominated Syracuse, winning by a stunning 53 points, with a 31-0 run at one point.
The Huskies have now won seven of the last 16 tournaments and will continue their championship run, while South Carolina has two titles in the past four years.
Virginia’s win is notable because it marks the first time in women’s basketball history that a First Four team has advanced to the Sweet 16.
As funding from donors like Ohanian continues, maybe, just maybe, the playing field in women’s sports is starting to level out.
This season has been particularly rewarding in coach Amaka Agugua Hamilton’s fourth year with the Cavaliers, who ended with a 19-11 record, a real improvement after several underwhelming seasons. They also managed narrow wins over Arizona State and No. 7 seed Georgia to reach this point.
Now, the Cavaliers are set to face No. 3 seed TCU in the Sweet 16, marking their first advance this far since the 1999-2000 season.
Some impressive new transfers, like Tabatha Amanze (Penn State), Romi Levy (South Florida), and others, have certainly made their mark this season.
A victory against TCU would take UVA to the Elite 8 for the first time, potentially facing off against top-seeded South Carolina. It’s clear that Ohanian’s involvement has had a meaningful impact on the program.
