ALBANY — It’s not about the championship.
It helps with so much more.
This might be the most anticipated game in women’s hoops history, and it’s a memory that will last longer than the title game, reminding you where you watched it and who you were with.
This is a rematch of the sport’s most important matchups, games that ignited rivalries, tournaments that created celebrities, inspired generations and started movements.
LSU is the one given the chance to defend its crown, end Caitlin Clark’s career, and send her home in tears again. It allows them to be silenced.
“I’ll play the villain,” Reese said. “We’ll take the hit. But we know women’s basketball is growing. If this is the way we’re going to do it, this is the way we’re going to do it. You either like it or you don’t.”
Iowa State has a chance to reach the Final Four again, extend its best four years by one more week, and avenge the loss in the national title game that may forever haunt the state.
“Each of us wants this so badly,” Clark said. “We really want to get to the Final Four. I think that’s the main similarity. [with Reese] It’s about how much we want it and how competitive we are. … We’re going to do whatever we can to help our team win.” ”
The women’s game has been waiting for decades to receive this much attention.
A year later, the most-watched contest in history is appetizers.
For one night only, a packed MVP Arena will host a heavyweight matchup between the No. 1 and No. 3 seeds between Iowa State (32-4) and LSU (31-5), potentially making upstate New York the epicenter of college basketball. There is a gender. Albany 2 area.
The Elite Eight battle is expected to draw the largest television audience in history, with last year’s national title game drawing a record 9.9 million viewers, double the previous year’s ratings. Two of sports’ biggest celebrities will headline a historic night at women’s hoops, followed by a nightcap. The Portland District 3 between top-seeded USC and third-seeded UConn features another big star in the sport in JuJu Watkins and Paige Bueckers.
“If I were just a basketball fan, I think I would be glued to the TV more than anyone else,” Clark said. “I think women’s basketball fans know how special and cool this moment is going to be. I think you can see that in the ratings.
“I’m lucky to be a part of it.”
This hype is possible because basketball has brought the top two scoring teams in the nation here.
Iowa State merges Showtime with the “Seven Seconds or Less” Suns, who lead the nation in scoring, assists and 3-point shooting.
LSU represents the “Bad Boys” Pistons, a versatile but often underestimated veteran group with a physical front line and an exceptional backcourt that ranks first in the nation in free throw attempts and second in rebounds. has been done.
Last year, LSU won 102-85, setting the all-time record for points in a title game.
Clark, who scored 41 points in the upset of undefeated University of South Carolina, finished with 30 points and eight assists, but the Tigers forced her to make 3s on 19 of 22 shots and beat the Hawkeyes’ supporting cast. Silenced.
“The scouting report for last year’s game is the same as the scouting report for this year’s game,” Reese said. “Caitlin Clark is who she is. We’ve got to contain her as much as we can. She’s a great player. … She scores 30 points when we win, she scores 30 points when we lose. … We’re going to have to make sure we don’t let other guys score.”
The world has changed.
Only five starting pitchers return from last year’s game.
Clark is now an icon for a generation.
Reese, her closest rival.
This pair of non-traditional powerhouses produces sellouts wherever they play and creates history every time they meet.
This time I’m not talking about the title.
It applies to anything you can imagine.
“We both want to win more than anything,” Clark said. “And that’s the way it should be when you’re a competitor and you find yourself in a situation like this.”
