Yahoo Autos The show goes on! Takeaways from Hawkeyes’ historic Final Four win to advance to title game
Every team wants the chance to take its shot at the top team, the team no one else can figure out — the team that is supposed to be dominant.
The Iowa Hawkeyes earned that chance against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the Final Four.
The Hawkeyes didn’t flinch.
Iowa jumped to a quick lead, showed it wanted to give everything and them some to South Carolina and proved it had every right to play for a national title. From the first quarter onward, Iowa weathered every run the Gamecocks thew at them and responded with one of their own. The Hawkeyes took down the team no one was supposed to beat.
Iowa’s 77-73 win was a heavyweight boxing fight with two powerhouses trading blows back and forth. It exceeded the lofty expectations America had set for it.
The effort by the Hawkeyes was incredible in every sense of the word from all sorts of contributors. Here are the biggest takeaways from the Hawkeyes’ historic Final Four win.
We are witnessing greatness
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We are in the midst of one of, if not the single greatest run in basketball history. Caitlin Clark’s postseason run has taken America by storm. Her ability to deliver every single time is beyond belief. Clark’s draw to her games is in the same realm as the attention Tiger Woods commanded when he burst onto the scene.
Clark’s 41 points Friday night, including 16 in the fourth quarter, made her the only women’s basketball player to put up 40 points in back-to-back NCAA Tournament games.
Caitlin Clark is out of this world right now and we get to witness greatness again on Sunday. Before the nerves set in, take a moment to step back and realize she is doing something we may never see again.
Lisa Bluder has outdone herself once again
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Lisa Bluder, you are coaching your tail off right now. The victory over Louisville in the Elite Eight was just the appetizer. This performance and game plan against South Carolina was textbook.
Bluder knew Iowa was going to struggle on the boards. She didn’t try to ignore it. Instead, she dared South Carolina’s shooters to make shots they don’t hit at a high rate, and it paid off just enough. On offense, she knew South Carolina owned the paint, but Iowa could have success making the Gamecocks’ bigs defend in space.
In a four-point game, the little things made all the difference and Bluder’s coaching was exquisite.
Czinano and Stuelke weren't afraid of the moment
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Monika Czinano knew she was outsized and had to work with her best craft, her footwork. She put on a clinic on how to score without dribbling and while being undersized against South Carolina’s bigs. Czinano’s 18 points came on 6 of 8 shooting from the floor and 6 of 6 from the line. What a masterful performance.
What a moment for a freshman to be thrust into. The Final Four against a 36-0 national powerhouse is no walk in the park. Hannah Stuelke took the moment and ran with it. Her stats aren’t eye-popping but those don’t always tell the full story. Her minutes off the bench to buoy Iowa can’t be dismissed.
McKenna Warnock is the epitome of finding a way
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When you look at the stat sheet, McKenna Warnock chipped in five points, three assists and three rebounds. What she did and when she did it are two different things and of extreme importance.
In a game South Carolina dominated the boards, Warnock snagged one of Iowa’s few offensive rebounds with 14 seconds left. It gave the Hawkeyes another chance to run clock and make free throws that were the difference.
Angel Reese vs. Caitlin Clark is appointment television
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Sunday’s national championship is going to be must-see television. The game’s two brightest stars, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, will be squaring off with two rabid fan bases yearning for a title.
Clark and Reese each are outspoken, not afraid to show their emotions, and have done wonders for the women’s game getting exposure. Getting the two of them in a title game is better than any script.
Clear your schedule on Sunday and get ready for a game of fireworks, emotion and extremely high-level basketball.
Hawkeyes aren't done yet
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The Hawkeyes are playing for their first title in program history. They know the importance of staying level-headed and focused with one more game to go.
This team is mature, experienced and hungry the bring Iowa a championship. It celebrated after the Final Four win, but the energy in it let everyone know there is work to be done. This team beat South Carolina and now it wants it all.
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