of iowa hawkeyes They returned to the spotlight Friday night by defeating a gritty and resilient UW team in the women’s semifinals. But awaiting them is their fiercest rival to date, the undefeated South Carolina Shamcocks.
Iowa and south carolina They will face off in Cleveland on Sunday afternoon after two very different journeys this season.
Iowa Hawk signs autographs as he leaves the court after a game against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the second round of the 2024 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on March 25. Eyes No. 22 guard Kaitlin Clark, 2024, Iowa City, Iowa. (Matthew Holst/Getty Images)
Caitlin Clark left an indelible mark on the world of college basketball. WNBA. In her final season at the University of Iowa, Clark became the women’s all-time leading scorer and ultimately the NCAA Division I overall career scorer. Her only goal left is to become a national champion.
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But while all eyes are on Iowa State and the record books, South Carolina is not, and Dawn Staley’s Shamcocks are looking to avenge last season’s heartbreaking loss to the Hawkeyes in the women’s semifinals. There is no doubt that.
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No. 10 Camila Cardoso of the South Carolina Gamecocks hits No. 1 of the North Carolina State Wolfpack during the first half of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinals at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland on April 5, 2024. He will face River Baldwin. ,Ohio. (Gregory Shams/Getty Images)
south carolina finished Semifinals, vs. North Carolina State They entered there the same way – undefeated. All-American center Camila Cardoso scored a team-high 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, leading South Carolina to a 78-59 victory over the Wolfpack.
After leading by one point in the first half, the Gamecocks came back and defeated North Carolina State 29-6. For the Gamecocks, Raven Johnson had 13 points, two rebounds and five assists, and Tehina Paopao had 10 points and six assists.
While Shammox easily made it to the finals, Iowa State Battle with UConn The semi-finals really were anyone’s game.
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Although the Huskies were successful in shutting down Clark in the first half, the versatile shooter still scored 21 points, including three momentum-changing 3-pointers in the second half, leading the Hawkeyes’ second-half push to victory.
Iowa held a four-point lead with just under a minute left, but Nika Muhl’s 3-pointer with 39 seconds left kept the Huskies alive. A controversial offensive foul with three seconds left called Aliyah Edwards and sealed University’s fate.
Iowa State then moved on. Won 71-69.
familiar area
Iowa Hawkeyes’ No. 22 Caitlin Clark hits the rim during the second half of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal game against the Union Huskies at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on April 5, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. Drive towards. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
South Carolina is seeking to become the first team to win the national championship undefeated since UW did it in 2016. But this isn’t their first challenge.
The Shamcocks reached the semifinals last year with a perfect record, but their run was halted there by Iowa. Clark dropped his 41 points in his 77-73 victory and advanced to the finals, eventually making it to the finals. Lose to LSU.
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But no one is counting South Carolina out, even though the situation is the same.
“South Carolina is the best of the best,” Clark said Friday night. “They’re in a different league. We’re going to do everything we can to be on the same level as them.” “But yeah, I think the most important thing is to enjoy tonight. And then we’ll go scouting early in the morning.”
Chasing history, Iowa State is looking to win the program’s first title, a feat that had eluded Clark to this point.
The women’s national championship game tips off in Cleveland on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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