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8 months ago
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South Carolina has rained on Caitlin Clark's parade, with the Iowa superstar failing to end her college career on a high with a NCAA championship win ahead of the WNBA Draft later this month, as the Gamecocks are crowned as this year's national champs.
Guards Tessa Johnson, Kamilla Cardoso, and Te-Hina Paopao combined for 48 points in Sunday's stunning 87-75 comeback win at Rocket Morgage FieldHouse - home to the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers - to overpower Clark's own special 30-piece in her last game ever for the Hawkeyes.
Iowa (34-5) came out firing in the first quarter, outscoring their opponents, 27-20, before South Carolina (38-0) made up for the end-of-quarter, 7-point differential by scoring 29 in the second, while the Hawkeyes only put up 19.
Once the score was in the Gamecocks' favor at halftime (49-46), they never looked back, despite Clark's near double-double heroics (8 rebounds), which caused a few nerve-racking moments for Dawn Staley's undefeated team in the fourth.
South Carolina ultimately put 19 points apiece in the last two quarters, while the Hawkeyes had 13 in the third quarter and 16 in the last.
Iowa's Caitlin Clark stands in dismay after coming close to winning an NCAA title for a second year in a row
The South Carolina Peacocks won their second NCAA championship three years on Sunday
Clark nearly put in a double-double performance in Cleveland, as he had 30 pts and 8 assists
South Carolina went undefeated all season long (37-0) under former NCAA guard Dawn Staley
The 22-year-old Clark - NCAA's all-time leading scorer for both men and women - made 10 of 28 shots - including 5 of 13 3-pointers - and finished her four-year stay in Iowa City with 3,951 points. She also had five assists.
Despite Sunday's loss for the Hawkeyes, Clark's run to a second straight NCAA final helped turn the women's tournament into appointment television. Her performances have set a new TV ratings record for women's college basketball twice in the last week alone, with another record likely waiting after the title game.
She has also tried to take her blossoming stardom in stride, frequently deflecting much of the attention to her Iowa teammates and a sport that is having a moment.
'I personally want to thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport,' Staley said after her Gamecocks were claimed as national champions for the third time since she became the program's head coach in 2008.
'She carried a heavy load for our sport. ... Caitlin Clark if you're out there you're one of the GOATs of our game. We appreciate you,' Staley added, tracking back on her comments that Iowa's star play had to win a championship to secure her legacy in college sports.
Clark always had the full attention of opposing coaches. And South Carolina's depth proved to be too much in front of a sold-out crowd. It wasn't for lack of trying. It just never is with Clark.
She came out firing, scoring 18 of Iowa's final 20 points in the first quarter as the Hawkeyes built a quick 27-20 lead. The Gamecocks used multiple defenders to try to keep up with Clark. It didn't seem to matter. She knocked down three 3-pointers in the opening 10 minutes, including a rainbow over the 6-foot-7 Cardoso.
The 18 points broke the single-quarter record of 16 set by LSU's Jasmine Carlson in the second quarter of the Tigers' win over Iowa in last year's title game.
The NCAA went to a quarter system in 2016.
South Carolina, however, recovered to capture its second championship in three years.
Clark checked out with 20 seconds remaining, earning a huge from coach Lisa Bluder while the crowd gave her a lengthy standing ovation.
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