CLEVELAND — Caitlin Clark’s senior season was filled with questions:
How many points would she score today? How far did this shot come from? Did you see this?
Would she come back to Iowa? What records would she break? Would she be affected by an unprecedented spotlight? To what extent would it evolve the game further?
With only one match remaining in her legendary college career, only one question remains: will she succeed?
The greatest scorer in Division I history enters Sunday’s title game against South Carolina with the opportunity to bring the first national championship to her home state, with a chance to avenge the last year’s title loss to LSU, with 40 extra minutes to muzzle any insistent critics. a ring is required to access the all-time debates.
“Everyone was coming up to me before the season started and saying, ‘There’s only one thing left to do,’” Clark said. “I don’t want this to end, whether it’s a win or a loss. I think the most important thing is that you have this little fire inside you. I’ve had some tough losses, and I think those are the moments that have prepared me for this moment, for this opportunity.
Few players have had so much at stake in a single match.
Few teams have ever had the opportunity to beat No. 1 South Carolina (37-0), in its rematch against No. 1 Iowa (34-4).
A year ago, the Gamecocks appeared to be able to repeat as champions, advancing to the Final Four with a perfect record.
Then Clark became America’s favorite sweetheart and assassin, leading the Hawkeyes to upset the nation’s top-ranked team with an unforgettable performance – 41 points, eight assists and six rebounds – in Iowa’s 77-73 victory.
Several South Carolina players remain haunted by the loss, becoming the confetti the country used to celebrate Clark.
Gamecocks guard Raven Johnson admits watching video of loss “over 100 times.”
“I remember last year I was very nervous guarding (Clark), just being who she is, but this time I’m not afraid,” Johnson said. “I was really hoping for a rematch. There’s no better feeling than hoping to beat the team that beat you last year. Defeating them will complete the revenge tour.
Clark may have the last word.
In the Elite Eight, she took revenge on Angel Reese and LSU, with 41 points (nine 3-pointers) and 12 assists.
In the national semifinals, Clark’s fourth-quarter magic helped oust Paige Bueckers, Geno Auriemma and the UConn program that had long dominated the sport.
Next comes the most fitting final boss, putting a scripted storybook ending within reach.
“This is a monumental game for our sport,” said South Carolina coach Dawn Staley, who is seeking her third national title and the sport’s first undefeated season in seven years. “I hope it’s the most watched game (of all time). I hope everyone gets out of this exactly what they want.
South Carolina was apparently built in a laboratory to keep Clark from cutting down the net. It has the nation’s top-ranked defense to slow down the nation’s highest-scoring offense.
He has a dominant front line — with 6-foot-7 center Kamilla Cardoso — to attack Iowa’s undersized lineup. This brings the deepest rotation in the country into battle against an opponent without a bench.
South Carolina has everything except the one player who stands out from everything when she steps on a field.
There is only one thing left for him to do. There is only one question left to answer.
“I think in this game you can’t ask for anything better,” Clark said. “We know we have our hands full. Everyone across the country knows South Carolina has been the team all year. They were simply incredible. We’re going to give him everything we’ve got.
“(A championship) would be the icing on the cake. That would be at the top of your list, the thing you are most proud of.
New York Post
