It was a rematch that lived up to the hype and more.
No. 1 Iowa and No. 3 LSU, the defending champion, met again in the Elite Eight of the 2024 NCAA Women’s Tournament, with the Hawkeyes advancing after a 97-84 victory Monday.
Iowa came out on fire, especially Caitlin Clark. But Angel Reese took matters into his own hands to put LSU up after the first.
But the high-intensity, fast-paced affair led to poor shooting from LSU, and the Tigers eventually fizzled out over the final three quarters.
Clark recorded 41 points, 12 assists, seven rebounds, two steals and a block while shooting 13 of 29 overall, 9 of 20 from deep and 6 of 7 from the foul line. Her compatriot Kate Martin came alive in the second half to finish with 21 points.
Flau’jae Johnson led the Tigers with 23 points, although foul trouble plagued the guard in the third quarter and that was the difference.
Reese fouled out with just under two minutes left in the final quarter. She finished with 17 points, 20 rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals while shooting 7 of 21 overall and 3 of 8 at the charity stripe.
But the main story was Clark and Co. avenging last year’s title match loss to advance to the 2024 tournament. Here’s how social media reacted to the game:
Iowa will next face the winner of No. 1 USC and No. 3 UConn in the Final Four.
NBC Chicago
