The controversial ending to Friday’s national semifinal between Iowa and Connecticut in the Final Four ended one of the most anticipated games in women’s basketball history on a sour note and created a furore on social media.
Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes held on for a 71-69 win in front of a sellout crowd at Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, helped by a controversial offensive foul on Aaliyah Edwards on the Huskies’ final possession when they trailed by a point with five seconds left. other.
The call gave possession back to Iowa and forced UConn into a foul, sending Clark to the line. The star guard, who finished with 21 points, made one of two free throws to account for the final margin and after the Hawkeyes grabbed an offensive rebound following her miss, Iowa was able to maintain possession until the final buzzer.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was one of the biggest names to object to the decision, writing on X: “NAAAAAHHHHHH!!! I don’t agree with that call.”
NAAAHHHHH!!! I don’t agree with that phone call.
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 6, 2024
That sentiment was echoed by Rudy Gay, a 17-year NBA veteran after a decorated college career at UConn, who wrotesimply: “You can’t call that!!!”.
Angel Reese, the LSU star whose Tigers were eliminated by Iowa on Monday and who declared for the WNBA draft two days later in Vogue, wrote: “wait, wasn’t that screen cleaned?”.
Kelsey Plum, the two-time WNBA champion with the Las Vegas Aces whose Division I scoring record Clark broke earlier this year, wrote: “To mention that about a decisive game is so wrong WOW”.
Jamal Crawford, who played in 20 different NBA seasons and was named the league’s Sixth Man of the Year three times, wrote: “Was an instant classic. But it’s a terrible way for the game to end.”
The reactions were not limited to the basketball world. Entertainers and athletes from other sports were eager to join in at the finish line of a match that will undoubtedly threaten the viewership records set during last week’s Elite Eight games between Iowa and LSU.
Gabrielle Union, the actor and wife of thirteen-time NBA star Dwyane Wade, called the “some ol bs” decision earlier add: “I hate the ending of that game. That’s a damn shame. Iowa came to play and so did UConn.
You can’t call that!!!!!! That’s some old bs
— Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) April 6, 2024
Micah Parsons, the two-time All-Pro linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys, wrote: “No, they are manipulating this!! You can’t call that!!’
Not everyone was focused on the controversial finish. Rapper and producer Travis Scott paid tribute to both teams in a series of tweets.
“Hats off to whoever is currently involved with WNCAA. These girls are playing the most gymnastics basketball ever at my mom’s house,” Scott wrote, add‘I don’t care what you do, everyone has to watch the final on Sunday. MOOOVIIIEEEEEE”.