Iowa escapes UConn, 71-69, advances to national title game (2024)

Even when Caitlin Clark's shot is off target, it's still somehow right where it needs to be.

UConn had handled the Clark problem nearly perfectly, limiting her to just 7 of 18 shooting and forcing the typically suave superstar into a choppy offensive outing, and as Iowa led by two in the closing seconds, her typically automatic free throw clattered off the front rim. Sydney Affolter leapt right into the path of Clark's miss, however, securing Iowa's possession on a jump ball, and a savvy inbound maneuver ensured Iowa escaped with a 71-69 victory, advancing to Sunday's national championship game with South Carolina.

While Clark headlines Iowa's top-ranked offense, it was UConn that looked flawless from the field early on, nailing 5 of 8 field goals to start, including both of its 3-point attempts, and leading 13-7 at the first media timeout.With a rotation dwindled to only six by grueling injury luck, the Huskies leaned heavily on its stars to build a 32-26 halftime lead. Familiar suspects Paige Bueckers and Aaliyah Edwards hooked up on a sweet transition bucket out of the first intermission, ultimately finishing the second quarter with nine combined points, but KK Arnold proved to be a crucial piece for Geno Auriemma's squad. The freshman had finished with more than 10 points just once in her last six outings but had already crossed double-figures by halftime, also dishing out three assists and grabbing a rebound.

A flurry of gritty Bueckers buckets, who joined with Edwards to lead the Huskies with 17 points, kept UConn ahead early in the second half, but Clark managed to swing the momentum with a stunning four-point play. From there, Hannah Stuelke, the game's leading scorer with 23, knocked down four straight free throws, and Iowa regained the lead for the first time since 2-0 at 47-45.

Iowa would grow its lead as large as nine midway through the fourth quarter thanks to an untimely Husky scoring drought, and while ravenous UConn defense forced consecutive Iowa turnovers and gave Connecticut a chance at the victory down just one, an offensive foul call on Edwards set up Clark's free throw magic and sent her squad to another national title game.

As Caitlin Clark struggled with erraticism throughout a difficult afternoon, Kate Martin has been the assurgent hero in the Hawkeye backcourt. The veteran guard has 11 points and a collection of timely buckets that have helped Iowa hold its late lead.

None have been bigger than her most recent attempt, a turnaround fader from just inside the left elbow that proved pure. Martin's second-straight bucket gives Iowa a 70-64 lead with less than two minutes remaining.

Big-Bucket Kate 💪@kate_martin22 x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/HQ8QQ5gggu

— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) April 6, 2024

One of the most anticipated games of the tournament has lived up to the hype in every way, tied at 51 entering the fourth quarter with Paige Bueckers leading the Huskies in scoring while Caitlin Clark eyes yet another triple-double.

The NCAA.com crew has you covered live from Cleveland for the final 10 minutes, so stay tuned!

Caitlin Clark provided her own inspiration on a rough 4 of 13 shooting night, nailing a 3-pointer before being driven to the floor and igniting a thunderous roar from the Iowa fans. The Hawkeye sensation nailed her attempt at the line, and Hannah Stuelke sandwiched a Geno Auriemma timeout with two perfect trips to the foul line, giving Iowa its first lead since the game's opening seconds at 47-45.

Watch Clark's remarkable shot below:

4-point play 🔥@caitlinclark22 x #Hawkeyes

📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/RhGPYQEKHu

— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) April 6, 2024

With Iowa clawing itself even after a stirring start to the second half, All-American Paige Bueckers rallied once more with a dominant stretch for the undermanned Huskies. The Minnesotan has scored seven points in the first five minutes out of the locker room and is torching Iowa at all levels, stepping into an audacious rhythm 3 before sealing her defender for an easy two.

Bueckers' efforts have helped the Huskies reclaim a five-point edge at the third quarter media timeout.

Devastated by five season-ending injuries, UConn's now six-woman rotation has leaned heavily on its stars to build a 32-26 halftime lead.

Familiar suspects Paige Bueckers and Aaliyah Edwards hooked up on a sweet transition bucket out of the first intermission, ultimately finishing the second quarter with nine combined points, but KK Arnold continued to be a crucial piece for Geno Auriemma's squad. The freshman had finished with more than 10 points just once in her last six outings but has already crossed double-figures by halftime, also dishing out three assists and grabbing a rebound.

Paige Bueckers ➡️ Aaliyah Edwards pic.twitter.com/DhIPkR9UsG

— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) April 6, 2024

Meanwhile, Caitlin Clark's struggles continue, finishing the half just 3 of 11, and a short-armed missed produced a long rebound and allowed Bueckers to stem a late-half Hawkeye run and convert at the rim just before the horn. Here's a look at the complete box score from half 1.

With a packed crowd at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse primed to roar every time Caitlin Clark touches the ball, the Hawkeye megastar has instead struggled. The newly crowned AP Player of the Year has managed just two points in the first quarter on 1 of 5 shooting, along with a turnover. The opportunistic Huskies took full advantage, as pass-first point guard Nika Muhl drilled two of her own 3s, and the Huskies led by as much as eight.

Hannah Stuelke offset Clark's struggles — at least in part — with a pair of tough finishes at the rim, and Iowa's Kylie Feuerbach drilled a 3 at the quarter's end, bringing the score to 19-14.

For all the fanfare Caitlin Clark and her transcendent shooting have generated in recent months, is the Huskies that can't miss in the early going. UConn has nailed 5 of 8 field goals to start, including both of its 3-point attempts, and leads 13-7 at the first media timeout.

The Huskies' third-option KK Arnold is stepping into the spotlight in Cleveland, drilling a triple and converting a tough and-one, star guard Paige Bueckers hit a flawless mid-range pull-up and Nika Muhl knocked in a rare 3-ball of her own.

Today is the day. The 2024 Women's Final Four is here. In the second semifinal of the night, (1) Iowa and Caitlin Clark take on (3) UConn and Paige Beuckers for a chance to play in the national championship final.

Here's how to watch:

• Date: Today — Friday, April 5
• Time: 9:32p.m. ET
• TV channel: ESPN
• Location: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse | Cleveland, Ohio
• 📈Live stats

Here are how the stat lines of (1) Iowa and (3) UConn compare from the 2023-24 season:

Inside a sold-out MVP Arena, Iowa escaped from the jaws of the LSU Tigers in a 2023 national championship rematch in the 2024 Elite Eight. Behind a 41-point, 12-assist performance by Caitlin Clark, the Hawkeyes built an 11-point advantage at the end of the third to eventually top the third-ranked Tigers, 94-87.

The 2024 Final Four is the Iowa's third appearance in program history and second consecutive for the Hawkeyes, as the 2024 Big Ten champs ride their 10-game win streak to Cleveland.

The Huskies rounded out their regular season with a dominant 36-point win over Georgetown for their fourth consecutive Big East championship. They've since battled Jackson State, Syracuse, Duke and Southern California to reach the Final Four. In their first three tournament games, the Huskies held their opponents to scoring just 57.6 points on average. UConn faced its tallest task yet in Southern California, putting up an 11-point run in the fourth period to knock out Juju Watkins and the top-seeded Trojans.

Their matchup against Iowa will be their 23rd national semifinal, the most of any school.

The series history of these two powerhouses only dates back to two matchups in just the last four seasons — UConn leads the all-time series 2-0. The teams first met in the Sweet 16 of the 2021 March Madness women's tournament, during which UConn routed the Hawkeyes by 20 points (92-72) and made a Final Four run. This was also the freshman season of stars Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark — in their first collegiate matchup against each other, the Bueckers and Clark put up 18 and 21 respective points.

The only other meeting between these two teams occurred a year and a half laterin the championship game of the first Phil Knight Legacy women's tournament. UConn beat Iowa by a 86-79 margin, with Aaliyah Edwards notching a 20-point, six-assist performance for the Huskies.