Caitlin Clark and Iowa come from behind to seal 71-69 win over UConn as the Hawkeyes sensation recovers from slow start to help team set up NCAA Championship showdown with South Carolina

Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes are now just one win away from an NCAA championship, after beating UConn 71-69 in the Final Four on Friday night.

Clark had an extremely quiet first half by his lofty standards, scoring just six points as UConn took a 32-26 lead into halftime.

But in front of a star-studded crowd that included Jason Sudeikis, Machine Gun Kelly and WNBA stars like Kelsey Plum, Clark came to life in the second period when she finished with 21 points, nine rebounds and seven assists to help the Hawkeyes gain. .

It was actually teammate Hannah Stuelke who led the Hawkeyes in scoring with 23, while Paige Bueckers scored 17 for UConn in the loss.

Iowa, seeking its first national championship after falling to LSU in the finals last year, will face South Carolina for the crown on Sunday.

After a rough first 30 minutes due to a crowded UConn defense, Clark, NCAA Division I’s all-time leading scorer, finally got going in the fourth quarter.

With the game tied at 51, Clark scored seven points in the first two and a half minutes of the period to give Iowa a little cushion. UConn (33-6) got within 60-57 before the Hawkeyes scored six straight to take a 66-57 lead.

UConn trailed 70-66 before Nika Muhl hit a 3-pointer off a steal with 39.3 seconds left to pull the Huskies within one.

Iowa’s Hannah Stuelke turned around with 10 seconds left. UConn had a chance to take the lead, but Aaliyah Edwards was called for an offensive foul as she set a screen with 4.6 seconds left.

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