Caitlin Clark and the top-seeded Iowa women's basketball team secured their spot in the Sweet 16 with a 64-54 win over eighth-seeded West Virginia in Monday's Albany 2 Region second-round game held at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. This marks the Hawkeyes' third Sweet 16 appearance in four years.
Entering her final home game of the collegiate career, Clark needed 29 points to break the single-season NCAA scoring record. She scored 32 points as she surpassed Kelsey Plum's mark of 1,109 points set during her senior season with Washington in the 2016-17 season.
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The record-breaking guard, who earlier this year became the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer by surpassing Pete Maravich, is expected to be the top overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
Uncharacteristic Caitlyn Clark performance
Despite scoring a team-high 32 points, Clark's performance wasn't efficient, as she shot 8-for-22 (36 percent) from the field and 5-of-14 (35 percent) from beyond the arc.
Overall, both teams had poor shooting performances during the game. Iowa managed to shoot 36.2 percent from the field, slightly better than West Virginia's 33.9 percent.The Hawkeyes really struggled from beyond the arc, shooting 22.7 percent, while the Mountaineers barely outperformed them with 26.5 percent shooting from three-point range.
Clark cemented her record-breaking performance by sinking a free throw with just 21.3 seconds left on the clock. She followed it up by making three more free throws in the final seconds, pushing her season total to 1,113 points.
Committment to Iowa women's basketball
Caitlin Clark shared her gratitude after setting the single-season record, recognizing her commitment to the program alongside teammates Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall.
“I know I've given everything to this program — same with these two,” she said.
“There's a lot to be proud of. There were a lot of highs, a lot of lows, and that's what makes these moments so special. I'm just thankful. I'm grateful.”
“I think we used our crowd, we knew we gave up a 10-0 run to start the quarter, but this team was never flustered, and I think that just speaks to our experience and couldn’t be happier for this group.” Clark said in a postgame interview via CNN’s Kevin Dotson.
“I mean we wanted to go out on a high note, our five seniors, these two, It’s just really special. I’m just proud of them,” she concluded.
JJ Quinerly led West Virginia with 15 points, while Kyah Watson contributed 13 points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
The Hawkeyes in the Sweet 16
Clark and the Hawkeyes will advance to face the fifth-seeded Colorado women’s basketball in the Sweet 16. Colorado secured a double-digit victory over 12-seed Drake in their first game and then upset Kansas State by 13 points, setting up the Sweet 16 matchup against Iowa in Albany, New York.
Iowa has a tough road ahead of their quest for a national championship, while Colorado's recent record against ranked opponents in the competitive Pac-12 is less impressive, having lost their last five games, including matchups against Oregon State (twice), USC, UCLA, and Utah.
There's a possibility of a rematch with LSU women’s basketball in the Elite Eight round.
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