LSU won its first national title with a 102-85 win over Iowa, as Kaitlin Clark struggles with a foul problem on a 30-point night and gets some shade from Angel Reese.
LSU’s Lady Tigers won their first basketball championship in school history on Sunday, defeating Iowa 102-85 in Dallas, Texas.
Caitlin Clark had another stellar 30-point performance for Iowa, but had serious problems throughout the game, committing her third error of the first half and being hit by a technical foul in the third quarter.
LSU had a dream start to the game, torching Iowa for 59 points in the first half and making history in the process.
Led by 21 points from Jasmine Carson off the bench, the Lady Tigers shot 9-of-12 from three to two quarters – including 5-of-5 from Carson – as they opened up a 17-point halftime lead.
Angel Reese #10 of the LSU Lady Tigers and his teammates celebrated after defeating Iowa
LSU head coach Kim Mulkey holds the winning trophy after the NCAA Tournament
Jasmine Carson went 7-8 from the field and scored 21 of her 22 points in the first half
LSU players celebrate after the final bell of the NCAA Women’s National Championship
Caitlin Clark committed three errors in the first half, but finished with 30 points
The 59 points are the most in any women’s championship game in the first half.
Plus, the team’s nine three-pointers made is more than the previous three games combined—they only made seven, ESPN Stats & Info says. male.
Iowa fought back in the second period, cutting the lead to eight in the fourth quarter, but LSU proved strong on the day.
Aside from Carson, LSU had two other 20-point scorers in Alexis Morris (21 points) and Ladazhia Williams (20).
Meanwhile, none of Clark’s teammates led by 13 points.
A divisive Clark was jeered by LSU’s Angel Reese after the final whistle, as the 20-year-old mimicked John Cena’s “You Can’t See Me” cue as Clark herself performed against Louisville.
Reese also pointed her ring finger as LSU captured the title at Iowa State’s expense.
However, LSU head coach Kim Mulkey highly praised Clark after the game, acknowledging her impressive performance.
“You are a generation player,” Mulkey Tell Clark after the game.
Clarke captivated fans during the tournament as her championships dragged a hockey team to their first women’s quad final in 30 years.
LSU had a phenomenal first half and was in control the rest of the way in Dallas
McKenna Warnock #14 of the Iowa Hawkeyes and LaDazhia Williams #0 Battle for the Ball
LSU’s Reese pointed her ring finger as the game stopped in Dallas
Clark averaged 31.8 points—including 40 in the Elite Eight and Final Four—and drew record viewers to the women’s game in droves.
Iowa’s dramatic victory over South Carolina was the university’s most-watched women’s basketball semifinal ever, as 6.6 million viewers followed Caitlin Clark’s 41-point performance.
The Hawkeyes’ 77-73 victory over the defending champions averaged 5.5 million viewers Sports Front Office. This is a staggering 72 percent increase from last year.
The Friday night game also surpassed the 3.76 million viewers who watched Baylor defeat Stanford in the 2012 Final Four game.
Following this trend, tickets for the women’s final four have reached exorbitant prices – much higher than for the men’s tournament.
All-session tickets for the Women’s Final Four are a minimum of $475 on StubHub and $335 on Vivid Seats, before fees, as of 3 p.m. EST Thursday. Tickets for all sessions for men were at least $65 and $66, respectively.
Women’s Semifinals kick off Friday at $222 on StubHub and $184 on Vivid Seats. This compares to the $45 and $44 semifinals on Saturday on the men’s side.
