Late offensive foul call not Hawkeyes’ problem after they gutted their way to title game
While many in America seethed at the foul call on Connecticut’s Aaliyah Edwards with 3.9 seconds left, the Hawkeyes enjoyed a comeback win and a second-straight berth in the national-championship game.
Hannah Stuelke ‘definitely a difference-maker’ in Iowa’s win over UConn
Hannah Stuelke has scored more points in a game. More than twice as many points, on one occasion. But considering the circumstances, she has never played bigger than she did Friday night.
Iowa returns to the national title game
With Connecticut down a point in the dying seconds, Gabbie Marshall was clipped by UConn’s Aaliyah Edwards, who was trying to spring Paige Bueckers open for the go-ahead basket. That sequence helped preserve the second-ranked Hawkeyes’ 71-69 NCAA women’s basketball national-semifinal triumph over the No. 10 Huskies on Friday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Game highlights: Iowa 71, UConn 69
Watch Lisa Bluder's postgame press conference
Watch Jan Jensen's postgame interview
Watch Sydney Affolter's postgame interview
Watch Kate Martin's postgame interview
Watch Gabbie Marshall's postgame interview
Watch Caitlin Clark's postgame interview
Final: Iowa 71, UConn 69
The No. 1 seed Hawkeyes (34-4) return to the national championship game.
Iowa scored 55 points in the second half after trailing 32-26 at the break.
Hannah Stuelke scored a game-high 23 points. Caitlin Clark had 21 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and two steals.
Paige Bueckers and Aaliyah Edwards had 17 points apiece for UConn (33-6).
Iowa will face No. 1 overall seed South Carolina (37-0) in the title game at 2 p.m. Sunday.
Iowa 71, UConn 69 (0:1.1 4th)
Caitlin Clark hits 1 of 2 free throws, but Sydney Affolter pulls down the rebound and Iowa gets possession on a jump ball.
Iowa 70, UConn 69 (0:4.6)
UConn's Aaliyah Edwards is whistled for an offensive foul on an illegal screen before the Huskies can get a shot off.
Timeout.
Iowa 70, UConn 69 (0:9.8 4th)
Another Iowa turnover. The Hawkeyes had been so secure with the ball in the second half after a sloppy first, but now the Huskies will have a chance to win it after two crucial turnovers in the final minute.
Iowa 70, UConn 69 (0:39.3 4th)
Iowa turns it over and Nika Muhl buries a 3. This will be a tight finish.
Timeout Iowa.
Iowa 68, UConn 64 (2:38 4th)
Another Kate Martin fadeaway jumper as the shot clock expires, then KK Arnold answers for UConn.
Timeout Huskies.
Iowa 66, UConn 62 (4:07 4th)
Nika Muhl swipes the ball from Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers immediately hits a 3. The Huskies are right back in it.
Paige Bueckers in transition‼️ pic.twitter.com/KBQhmqpT5S
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) April 6, 2024
Iowa 66, UConn 57 (5:42 4th)
Gabbie Marshall drills a 3 -- now a 2 after video review -- and it's a 6-0 Iowa run, including a Kate Martin fadeaway jumper and Caitlin Clark's steal and feed to Hannah Stuelke.
Steal. Dime. Bucket. @CaitlinClark22 x @StuelkeHannah#Hawkeyes
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) April 6, 2024
📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/VmfcpzZDkF
Iowa 60, UConn 57 (7:27 4th)
Teams are trading midrange numbers now, including three in a row from UConn. Throwback!
Timeout Iowa as Sydney Affolter dives for a loose ball.
Iowa 56, UConn 51 (9:03 4th)
Caitlin Clark drills a stepback 3 to give Iowa its largest lead of the game.
Iowa 53, UConn 51 (9:31 4th)
Hannah Stuelke scores on the block to give Iowa the lead. She has 21.
Iowa's depth might pay off
After a 12-turnover first-half, Iowa had none in the third quarter.
After a 26-point first-half, Iowa had 25 in the third quarter.
Is this where UConn is hurt by its very short player rotation?
Hawkeyes back on track
Iowa with 25 points, no turnovers in the third quarter. They outscored UConn 25-19.
End 3rd: Iowa 51, UConn 51
Ten minutes to decide who will face South Carolina for the title game.
Caitlin Clark had seven points in the third quarter after having just six in the first half. She's up to 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Hannah Stuelke has 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting.
Paige Bueckers leads UConn with 14. KK Arnold has 12, but four fouls.
Iowa 47, UConn 47 (2:17 3rd)
Aaliyah Edwards ties it up and now Kate Martin has to leave the game after being hit in the nose.
Muhl is back on the floor for UConn.
Martin returns to the bench with a bloody nose.
Iowa 47, UConn 45 (2:34 3rd)
Hannah Stuelke gives Iowa its first lead since 2-0 with a pair of free throws after drawing the fourth foul on KK Arnold.
Nika Muhl limps to the locker room, an even bigger development.
Iowa 45, UConn 45 (3:07 3rd)
Hannah Stuelke scores on what looked like could have been a three-point play, but Iowa forces a turnover on the other end and will have a chance to take its first lead since the first quarter.
Timeout UConn.
UConn 44, Iowa 43 (3:49 3rd)
A four-point play for Caitlin Clark, right in front of Iowa's bench.
😤 @CaitlinClark22 is heatin' up 🔥#WFinalFour x 🎥 ESPN / @IowaWBB pic.twitter.com/vIcIio1X4M
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) April 6, 2024
UConn 44, Iowa 39 (4:07 3rd)
Hannah Stuelke and Ice Brady go to work against each other in the post. Stuelke draws Brady's third foul and hits both free throws, then Brady answers with a three-point play.
Ice Brady
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) April 6, 2024
AND-1 pic.twitter.com/7OZNiIPQ3l
UConn 41, Iowa 37 (4:59 3rd)
Paige Bueckers has been effective getting to the block against Gabbie Marshall or has been trying to go backdoor. KK Arnold just picked up her third foul.
TV timeout.
UConn 39, Iowa 36 (7:16 3rd)
Kate Martin drives to tie it, but Paige Bueckers answers with a 3 to restore UConn's lead.
UConn 36, Iowa 34 (8:08 3rd)
Iowa gets Caitlin Clark open with a handoff and double screen and she knocks down her first 3. Suddenly it's a 2-point game.
22 FOR THREEE 🔥#WFinalFour x 🎥 ESPN / @IowaWBB pic.twitter.com/8tubraR9UM
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) April 6, 2024
UConn 32, Iowa 29 (9:37 3rd)
Iowa starts the third quarter with a Kate Martin steal and Gabbie Marshall 3.
Half: UConn 32, Iowa 26
Paige Buckers drives for a layup at the buzzer to stop a 10-2 Iowa run.
Caitlin Clark got to the basket a couple times in the second quarter and has six points, six rebounds and four assists, but is 0-for-6 from 3-point range. The Hawkeyes are 3-for-14 from deep. Hannah Stuelke leads Iowa with eight points.
KK Arnold has a game-high 10 points for UConn. Bueckers has seven.
Paige Bueckers finishes off the half! pic.twitter.com/XQGyDnYE6s
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) April 6, 2024
UConn 30, Iowa 22 (1:45 2nd)
Sydney Affolter hits a stepback 3 that you think might get the Hawkeyes going, but KK Arnold scores on the other end and the Hawkeyes turn it over again.
UConn 28, Iowa 18 (3:56 2nd)
Caitlin Clark and Kate Martin both get to the basket as they look to create something on offense -- Clark converts, Martin does not.
Nika Muhl, guarding Clark, has two fouls so it's important for Clark to continue looking to drive.
TV timeout.
UConn 28, Iowa 16 (5:15 2nd)
Gabbie Marshall falls under the basket and loses the ball, leading to a wide-open Paige Buckers 3 on the other end. UConn, on a 7-0 run, has its largest lead.
Paige Bueckers
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) April 6, 2024
FOR THREE pic.twitter.com/vfMF9xDW5z
UConn locking down Iowa
Ten Iowa turnovers in under 14 minutes.
UConn has Iowa's offense in a vise so far, and the Hawkeyes missing 9 of 11 3s isn't helping.
Caitlin Clark has more turnovers (3) than points (2).
UConn 25, Iowa 16 (6:41 2nd)
Aaliyah Edwards with a steal and layup. Iowa has 10 turnovers, nine of which are UConn steals.
Timeout Iowa.
AAliyah Edwards with the steal-and-score! pic.twitter.com/AlgNgB5DUE
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) April 6, 2024
UConn 23, Iowa 16 (7:01 2nd)
Hannah Stuelke runs the floor and Caitlin Clark delivers a perfect pass for a rare transition bucket for the Hawkeyes, who are struggling to hang on to the ball in the halfcourt.
End 1st: UConn 19, Iowa 14
Kylie Feuerbach knocks down a big 3 for Iowa, but the Hawkeyes end the quarter with their seventh turnover, obviously way too many.
Caitlin Clark had two points on 1-of-5 shooting, three rebounds and two assists in the opening 10 minutes. Nika Muhl has done a good job defending her so far.
Iowa's Hannah Stuelke and UConn's KK Arnold and Muhl all had six points.
UConn 19, Iowa 11 (1:28 1st)
Ashlynn Shade and Nika Muhl both connect from long range again to extend UConn's lead back to nine.
Y33HAW
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) April 6, 2024
Ashlynn Shade gets the bounce! pic.twitter.com/RhZQcg127n
UConn 13, Iowa 11 (3:11 1st)
Hannah Stuelke is being aggressive on offense and that's a good thing for Iowa. Two times she's powered to the basket for buckets, this time through a foul, though she didn't convert at the line.
Go to work 💪@StuelkeHannah x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/qTYwdbAAvF
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) April 6, 2024
UConn 13, Iowa 7 (4:59 1st)
Hannah Stuelke scores on an inbounds play and Aaliyah Edwards picks up a foul trying to grab an offensive rebound.
Iowa has started 1-for-5 from 3-point range.
UConn 13, Iowa 5 (6:03 1st)
It's an 8-0 run for UConn after a KK Arnold three-point play in transition, drawing a foul on Caitlin Clark.
The Huskies are off and runnin' 🔥#WFinalFour x 🎥 ESPN / @UConnWBB pic.twitter.com/K70lZQ6MDu
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) April 6, 2024
UConn 7, Iowa 5 (7:57 1st)
Paige Bueckers is on the board with a mid-range jumper.
Iowa 5, UConn 5 (8:15 1st)
Kate Martin answers with a 3 to tie it up.
UConn 5, Iowa 2 (8:43 1st)
KK Arnold's 3 gives UConn an early lead.
Iowa 2, UConn 2 (9:12 1st)
Ashlynn Shade knocks down a jumper against Iowa's zone for UConn's first points.
Iowa 2, UConn 0 (9:35 1st)
Caitlin Clark drives for a layup on Iowa's first possession after a UConn turnover.
Iowa starters
3 Sydney Affolter, 5-11 jr.
20 Kate Martin, 6-0 sr.
22 Caitlin Clark, 6-0 sr.
24 Gabbie Marshall, 5-9 sr.
45 Hannah Stuelke, 6-2 soph.
Crowd favors Iowa, immensely.
UConn starters
2 KK Arnold, 5-9 fr.
3 Aaliyah Edwards, 6-3 sr.
5 Paige Buckers, 6-0 jr.
10 Nika Muhl, 5-11 sr.
12 Ashlynn Shade, 5-10 fr.
Final: South Carolina 78, NC State 59
Gamecocks improve to 37-0.
Iowa-UConn set to tip at 8:32 p.m. (CT).
Lisa Bluder’s circle of Iowa players didn’t get larger in number, but grew in performance
Iowa lost two starters, added no transfers, and didn’t regress a bit in powering its way to a second-straight Final Four.
Iowa-UConn Final Four showdown is more than merely Clark vs. Bueckers
No. 2 Iowa meets No. 10 UConn in an NCAA women’s basketball national semifinal Friday. Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers are the stars. But there will be eight other players on the floor, too.
Iowa vs. UConn game notes
• Iowa is a 3 1/2-point favorite to reach the title game for the second straight year.
• The teams have met twice in the Caitlin Clark/Paige Bueckers era. Connecticut won in the 2021 Sweet 16, then again in the Phil Knight Legacy championship last season.
• Iowa earned atonement for its 2023 national-final loss by beating No. 8 LSU, 94-87, thus earning its second straight Final Four trip. Clark posted 41 points and 12 assists. Kate Martin added 21 points, Sydney Affolter 16.
• Clark was named the Naismith Trophy winner on Wednesday and claimed Associated Press national-player-of-the-year honors for the second straight year on Thursday. She is averaging 32.0 points and 9.0 assists per game, and has scored 3,900 points in her career.
• Bueckers (22.3 ppg) led the Huskies back to the Final Four for the 23rd time with 28 points in their 80-73 win over Portland-3 top-seed USC. UConn has won 11 national championships, the last in 2016, all under Geno Auriemma, who owns a career record of 1,213-161 in 39 years.