Big numbers and reaction from Iowa's Final Four win over South Carolina
The Iowa Hawkeyes are off to the 2023 NCAA tournament women's national title game after a 77-73 Final Four win over the No.1 South Carolina Gamecocks on Friday in Dallas.
Iowa will be making its first appearance in the title game after the program's first-ever win over an AP No. 1-ranked team. The Hawkeyes, behind Caitlin Clark's epic performance, also ended South Carolina's 42-game winning streak and ended its chances of back-to-back titles.
4: With 41 points, this was Clark's fourth 30-point game in the NCAA tournament. She's tied for second-most in tournament play since 2000. Her point total was the most scored against South Carolina in the last four seasons.
5: There have been eight games in this NCAA tournament where a player has scored or assisted on 40 or more points for her team. Clark has five of those games. She scored or assisted on 58 of Iowa's 77 points in the victory. It was her fourth game this tournament with at least 50 points created -- all other players have one such game combined.
41: Clark's 41 points are the second-most in a Final Four or championship game. Only Sheryl Swoopes, who had 47 points in the 1993 national title game, had more. The 41 points are the most scored by a player against an undefeated team in either a men's or women's NCAA tournament game. She is also the first player in tournament history to score 40 in back-to-back games. The feat has only happened once in the men's tournament. Austin Carr scored 40 in three straight games for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in 1970.
2: This was just the second time South Carolina trailed heading into the third quarter. The Gamecocks trailed the Stanford Cardinal by 10 on Nov. 20 before coming back to win in overtime. This was also just the second loss South Carolina's senior class experienced in their collegiate career.
It was a huge performance from Clark in a massive tournament upset. Iowa supporters and hoops fans lit up Twitter after the game:
THE GOATTTTTTTTTTTTT #1MORE LFG HAWKSSS— Luka Garza ✞ (@LukaG_55)
LET'S GO!!! ONTO THE CHAMPIONSHIP!!! https://t.co/QBPX5quVYk— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball)
What an amazing day! Great Season Opener for the Iowa Cubs⚾️, and now @IowaWBB to the National Championship!!!🏀 #Iowa— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs)
Shocked the world.#Hawkeyes x #WFinalFour pic.twitter.com/5ygiyi9nAl— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB)
The pro hoopers lined up to shout out Clark for her performance.
WHAT A GAME 🤯🤯🤯 https://t.co/5WoPUXuaFn— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm)
Caitlin one of those generational players. Congrats to her and Iowa, one more to go.— Diamond DeShields (@diamonddoesit1)
Wow! We have an LSU v Iowa showdown for the NCAA Championship First time either Team has played in the championship game... what a time! @MarchMadnessWBB 🔥— Renee Montgomery (@ReneeMontgomery)
41 DUDE WHO DOES THAT!!!??— Candace Parker (@Candace_Parker)
we give credit when credit is due / 41 is insane 😮💨— H O L L Y W O O D 🛬 (@ChennedyCarter)
Caitlin dropped 41 on the best defensive team in the country... that's just nasty! 😳— Layshia Clarendon (@Layshiac)
Caitlin Clark is tough— Jalen Brunson (@jalenbrunson1)
She's really amazing at HOOP!— Isaiah Thomas (@isaiahthomas)
Caitlin Clark something different😮💨— Cole Anthony (@The_ColeAnthony)
The football world was also locked in on the Iowa-South Carolina game.
Let's gooooo!!! @CaitlinClark22 💪🏽💪🏽— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes)
ELITE @CaitlinClark22— Tyrann Mathieu (@Mathieu_Era)
That was must watch television #CaitlinClark— Greg Olsen (@gregolsen88)
🐐 https://t.co/k1018ep3zO— Matt Leinart (@MattLeinartQB)
Research from ESPN Stats and Information was used in this story.
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