LSU captures the first national championship in school history with a 102-85 win over Iowa as Hawkeyes player of the year Caitlin Clark battles foul trouble on 30-point night
LSU’s Lady Tigers won the first basketball championship in school history on Sunday, beating Iowa 102-85 in Dallas, Texas.
Caitlin Clark put in another impressive performance for Iowa with 30 points, but she struggled with foul trouble throughout the game, as she drew her third foul in the first half and received a technical foul in the third quarter.
LSU got off to a dream start to the game, setting Iowa on fire for 59 points in the first half and making history in the process.
Led by Jasmine Carson’s 21 points off the bench, the Lady Tigers were 9-of-12 from three to two quarters, including a perfect 5-of-5 from Carson, and opened up a 17-point halftime lead.
Jasmine Carson made a perfect 7-7 from the field, including 5-5 from three-point range
LSU players celebrate after the final buzzer of the NCAA women’s national championship
Caitlin Clark fouled three times in the first half and was sent to the bench briefly
The 59 points are the most in any women’s championship game in a half.
Plus, the team’s nine 3-pointers are more than the previous three games combined, where they hit just seven, as ESPN Stats & Info noted.
Iowa fought back in the second period, cutting the lead to eight in the fourth quarter, but LSU proved too strong that day.
In addition to Carson, LSU had two other 20-point scorers in Alexis Morris (21 points) and Ladazhia Williams (20).
None of Clark’s teammates, meanwhile, topped 13 points.
LSU’s Angel Reese taunted Clark after the final whistle, as the 20-year-old imitated John Cena’s “can’t you see me” sign that Clark herself performed against Louisville.
Reese also pointed his ring finger as LSU captured the title at Iowa’s expense.
Nonetheless, LSU coach Kim Mulkey gave Clark tremendous praise after the game, acknowledging his tremendous performance.
‘You’re a generational gamer’, Mulkey told clark After the match.
Clark wowed the crowd during the tournament when her heroism dragged the Hawkeyes to their first women’s Final Four in 30 years.
LSU had a terrific 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
Clark averaged 31.8 points, including 40-point performances in the Elite Eight and Final Four, and drew record crowds to the women’s game in droves.
Iowa’s dramatic win over South Carolina was the most-watched women’s college basketball semifinal of all time, as 6.6 million viewers tuned in to Caitlin Clark’s 41-point performance.
The Hawkeyes’ 77-73 victory over the defending national champions averaged 5.5 million viewers, according to receiving sports. That’s a staggering 72 percent increase over last year.
Friday night’s game also topped the 3.76 million viewers who watched Baylor defeat Stanford in the 2012 Final Four matchup.
Following this trend, tickets for the women’s Final Four reached very high prices, much higher than those for the men’s tournament.
A ticket to the entire session of the Women’s Final Four was at least $475 on StubHub and $335 on Vivid Seats, before fees, as of 3 p.m. EDT on Thursday. Tickets for all the men’s sessions were at least $65 and $66, respectively.
Friday’s women’s semifinals start at $222 on StubHub and $184 on Vivid Seats. That compares to $45 and $44 for Saturday’s semifinals on the men’s side.