As Caitlin Clark and the Iowa women's basketball Hawkeyes begin their pursuit of a national championship, their final one as a group, it is difficult to enjoy the moment. Despite South Carolina being the clear favorite to cut down the nets, it is title or bust for this history-making superstar and experienced team.
Therefore, the pressure will set in even during the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. A sloppy game against a No. 16 seed could portend more trouble to come in the later stages of March Madness.
Clark gave Carver-Hawkeye Arena plenty of highlight-reel plays in Iowa's win over Holy Cross, as is the norm, but the performance was objectively not up to the ridiculously high standard that she has set during her illustrious college career. Clark's body language and emotions illustrate the heightened sense of urgency there is for this farewell run.
It will only increase as the stakes get higher. Let's not get ahead of ourselves, though. While the outcome was never in doubt, it is important to dig a little deeper into this matchup and figure out what can be learned from it going forward. We are specifically going to focus on the engine of this team and sport, Caitlin Clark.
Caitlin Clark has big game but faces some adversity early
The all-time scoring champion finished with 27 points on 8-of-19 shooting with 10 assists, eight rebounds, three steals and one block to lead Iowa to the 91-65 victory Saturday afternoon. And yet, it still felt like an off day for Clark.
Admittedly, that sounds like a silly statement to make after scanning the box score, but, fair or not, we have become accustomed to seeing the 6-footer utterly obliterate opponents with her lethal jump shot. She was just 3-of-9 from beyond the 3-point line and also committed six turnovers. Clark's own frustrations were evident, as she voiced her complaints to officials and even bounced the ball off her head at one point.
But the future No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft was able to relax a bit at the end of the contest, expressing her intent to savor her last game in Iowa City (Monday versus West Virginia). The Hawkeyes will want to stamp an exclamation point on their home floor after starting slow against the Crusaders.
Holy Cross gives Iowa a fight before Clark catches fire
This David versus Goliath clash did not go quite as smoothly for the Big Ten Champions as most fans likely expected. It was obviously a lopsided affair in the end, but Holy Cross only trailed by two points after the first quarter. Clark was cold from the field, while the Crusaders knocked down some tough shots.
Cinderella's carriage quickly transformed back into a pumpkin, however, as Iowa sprinted to a double-digit advantage. When the shots weren't falling, Clark used her exceptional ball-handling skills to weave through traffic and attack the basket. She also displayed her unparalleled playmaking ability (led the country with 8.9 assists per game), getting her teammates involved in the March Madness fun.
The 2023 AP Player of the Year credited the Crusaders for their effort but also attributed rust as a reason for the Hawkeyes' early struggles. She knows the team must play its best brand of basketball the rest of the way if it is going to survive a grueling region that includes defending champion LSU, UCLA, Kansas State and Colorado.
Caitlin Clark is moving onto the WNBA, but she desperately wants to capture the national crown on her way out. Although her legacy is perfectly reflected in the NCAA record books, Carver-Hawkeye Arena rafters and through the television and attendance ratings, this superstar has unfinished business. Clark and Iowa have six more wins to go.
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