Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball star Caitlin Clark is a sensational scorer and playmaker the likes of which the NCAAW has never seen before. It's at the point where people will rightfully say that the WNBA has never seen a player like her before either.
Past all of the debates who's the most dominant player on the NCAAW basketball scene all-time, nobody can take away what Clark has accomplished and continues to prove whenever she steps on the court.
Gender aside, Clark is as entertaining and talented a player that a basketball player can find.
After a record-setting 41-point performance in the national semifinal round against the South Carolina Gamecocks and the talented trio of Aliyah Boston, Zia Cooke and Raven Johnson, Clark has the attention of the nation, if she didn't have it before.
The junior, a top prospect in the 2024 WNBA Draft, has averaged 32.2 points and 10.4 assists per game in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. Capable of getting her shot off at will, Clark dazzles with her ability to pull up from anywhere on the court and still finding time to get the ball to her teammates.
Now, with the ultimate test facing her and her teammates, the Iowa native will have every opportunity to continue her historic run.
Here are three bold predictions for Clark in the national championship game against the LSU Tigers.
3 bold Caitlin Clark predictions for national championship game vs. LSU
1. She goes for 40+, again
Clark is on a tear, having scored 41 points in back-to-back games against the Gamecocks and the Louisville Cardinals. Shooting 26-50 from the field and amassing 19 free-throw attempts in the two contests, it will be difficult for the LSU defense to get her out of the rhythm that she's in.
That becomes only more apparent when Clark's film is up, as she plays with a confidence, flair, and bravado that will only increase the hotter that she gets. With that said, if the Tigers can't disrupt Clark early, they may be in for a long time when it comes to guarding her, win or lose.
Unfortunately for LSU, even their top perimeter defender — Flau'Jae Johnson — knows that she'll need plenty of help to stop Clark. Yet, with the 25th-ranked defense in the country and an elite frontcourt player in Angel Reese, Clark certainly has a task ahead of her as well.
Nonetheless, the offensive excellence of the 2023 Naismith Player of the Year should ultimately win out in the final game of the season, Especially in a game that Clark needs just 17 points to pass the legendary Sheryl Swoopes and lay claim to the record of the most points scored in a single women's basketball tournament.
She may even play well enough to score the most points in a single game, 50, set by Drake Bulldogs icon Lorri Bauman in 1982.
2. She becomes the all-time leading scorer in a single NCAA Tournament
Clark needs 17 points to pass Swoopes, the former Texas Tech star, to become the leading single-season scorer in women's basketball tournament history.
She needs 24 points to pass former Michigan Wolverines star Glen Rice for that same record, though on the men's side.
Scoring at least 24 points in her last three contests, Clark has more than what it takes to accomplish such a historic feat.
That being said, should she break both the women's and men's records, many will be calling her the greatest women's basketball player of all-time. At least at the collegiate level, anyways.
3. She loses to the LSU Lady Tigers
While Clark may have a sensational individual performance, it may not be enough for her to take down Reese and company.
Not only do the Lady Tigers have a long and proud history as a basketball program, but their interior dominance and defensive potential could be enough to sway the game on what could turn out to be the single-most important possession, even if Clark has her way with the defense up to that point.
In fact, while Clark will likely be the most important player for either side, the matchup between Reese and Hawkeyes forward Monika Czinano could be the biggest one for both teams. Both literally and metaphorically.
Czinano is one of the few players with the combination of size and technique to provide a fair matchup for Reese. Should she be able to keep the LSU star off the boards as much as usual, then the Hawkeyes could find themselves taking a confetti shower when the final horn sounds.
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