Big Ten Daily (April 2): Iowa Advances to 2024 Women's Final Four With Win Over LSU

Iowa was able to avenge last year's loss to LSU and advance to the Final Four of the 2024 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. Caitlin Clark scored 41 points and dished 12 assists in the win. The Hawkeyes also got 21 points from Kate Martin.

Dustin Schutte | Apr 2, 2024

Iowa Hawkeyes guard Gabbie Marshall (24) guard Caitlin Clark (22) and guard Kate Martin (20) hold / Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register / USA

Iowa is heading back to the Final Four. On Monday night, the Hawkeyes secured their spot in Cleveland, Ohio with a 94-87 win over LSU in the Elite Eight.

Caitlin Clark had another outstanding performance, scoring 41 points and dishing out 12 assists in the victory. She was also 13-of-29 from the floor, including nine-of-20 from long range.

Monday night's game was a rematch of last year's national championship contest between the Hawkeyes and Tigers. LSU got the better of Iowa in that one, winning 102-85. This year, though, Clark and the Hawkeyes proved to be too much.

"You gotta guard her. Nobody else seems to be able to guard her. We didn't even guard her last year when we beat 'em," LSU coach Kim Mulkey said after the game. "She's just a generational player and she just makes everybody around her better. That's what the great ones do."

Clark wasn't the lone star for the Hawkeyes in Monday night's victory. Iowa also got great production from Kate Martin and Sydney Affolter in the Elite Eight contest against LSU.

Martin finished the game with 21 points and six rebounds, making eight of her 16 attempts from the floor. Affolter, who averaged just over eight points per game during the regular season, chipped in 16 points and five rebounds.

With Monday's win, Iowa advanced to the Final Four. The Hawkeyes will take on Paige Bueckers and No. 3 seed UConn with a trip to the national championship hanging in the balance.

As for Mulkey and LSU? The Tigers coach is just lucky she won't have to find ways to defend Clark after this season.

"What did I say to her? I said 'I sure am glad you leaving,'" Mulkey said. "I said, 'Girl, you something else.' Never seen anything like it."

Minnesota still alive in Women's NIT

Although it's not in the NCAA Tournament, there's still one other Big Ten women's basketball team in action. On Monday night, Minnesota defeated Wyoming 65-54 to advance to the semifinal round of the NIT.

The Golden Gophers used a 25-point fourth quarter to defeat the Cowboys and advance to the next round of the tournament.

Amaya Battle had a sensational performance for Minnsota, scoring 29 points, dishing out four assists and collecting four rebounds in the win. Sophie Hart was the only other Gopher to reach double figures, scoring 14.

Grace Grocholski only scored three points but was a menace on the glass, grabbing 11 boards. Mallory Heyer came up just short of a double-double effort, scoring eight points and getting nine rebounds.

Minnesota, which finished Big Ten play with just a 5-13 record, is the last team in the conference still playing in the NIT. Both Wisconsin and Purdue dropped their games on Monday night, ending their runs in the tournament.

The Badgers fell 65-60 to St. Louis and the Boilermakers dropped a 67-59 game to Vermont.

With Monday's win, Minnesota advanced to the NIT semifinal round and will play Troy. The game is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET.

Minnesota still alive in Women's NIT

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