CLEVELAND — The black-and-gold dam held up as long as it could, determined not to let through the basketball juggernaut lurking on the other side. But this was no ordinary foe. Iowa women’s basketball got the same up-close experience every other South Carolina opponent has received this season.
The Hawkeyes again exited the national championship game forced to find solace in second place, as South Carolina took control for an 87-75 win Sunday afternoon inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Ultimately, Iowa couldn’t derail the Gamecocks’ unbeaten roll a second time — as it did in last season’s Final Four.
“I’m proud of my team,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “Finishing national runner-up two years in a row is an amazing feat. Nobody thought we were going to be here at the beginning of the year, so that makes it pretty special.
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“Always saying goodbye to your seniors is really, really tough. And every time you see a season end it’s another chapter closed, and that’s tough. But I know we’re going to look back on this and be very, very proud of the effort we gave this year.”
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Despite early evidence that Caitlin Clark’s final collegiate game would entertain full fairy-tale status, the top-seeded Gamecocks sidestepped that instant turbulence and eventually settled in like the championship squad they’ve been all season. Iowa had some second-half sparks, but not enough for a magical rally to cap this memorable campaign.
A dominant third quarter gave way to a forceful fourth, when South Carolina firmly flexed its basketball muscle while methodically making Iowa work for every ounce of success.
A two-point Hawkeyes hole midway through the third quarter ballooned to double digits before the final period commenced. An 8-0 Iowa surge in the fourth with South Carolina up 14 could only reinvigorate the Iowa noise momentarily, the same when Iowa climbed within five. Pleas for a riveting Clark finish echoed through the building as she fired away for the final times.
It didn’t materialize, as Iowa went the final four minutes without a point.
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“They’re a really good team,” Clark said. “We knew they were going to go on runs. By no means, when we started off as hot as we did, did we think we’d be able to hold that lead. That’s just what teams do. There’s some crazy statistics where South Carolina just outscores everybody in the second half by a ton of points every single game.
“To me, I’m just proud of our resiliency. We go into the fourth quarter, I think we cut it to five. And we just weren’t able to come up with a few stops and a few baskets. That speaks to our team. That’s the story it’s been all year long. My whole entire career, we never give up. We just keep fighting.”
Clark’s last collegiate stat line: 30 points on 10-for-28 shooting, including 5-for-13 from deep, with eight rebounds and five assists. Kate Martin delivered 16 points in her final Iowa action, while double-digit efforts from Sydney Affolter (12 points) and Hannah Stuelke (11 points) kept this championship dream alive as long as possible.
Just as much balance permeated the South Carolina box score. Tessa Johnson led the charge with 19 points while picking up double-figure assistance via Kamilla Cardoso (15 points), Te-Hina Paopao (14 points) and Chloe Kitts (11 points).
Even as the underdog, the thought of this championship spot overwhelming the Hawkeyes came off the table quickly. As Clark operated with career-ending urgency — putting up 18 first-quarter points while draining as many treys as she hit all of Friday night against UConn — Iowa surged out to robust advantages of 13-2 and 20-9 with everyone still settling in.
Still, the scorching start altered little emotion on a locked-in Iowa bench that knew South Carolina was coming. It wasn’t surprising to see the Gamecocks storm back, but that anticipation does little to ease the challenge.
South Carolina was back even less than two minutes into the second quarter — ahead for the first time with five minutes until the break — as Cardoso finally found a rhythm. A disheartening end to the first half saw the Hawkeyes yield five points in the closing 30 seconds for a 49-46 intermission hole.
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“It’s hard to guard 6-foot-7,” Affolter said. “We knew rebounding was going to be an issue, and we tried our best boxing out. I think we did play good defense, but the amount of points they had on offensive rebounds caused a problem. They’re a great team. Coach Bluder came in and said that’s like a professional team.
“We gave it our all, but South Carolina is an amazing team.”
The Gamecocks’ first-half finish offered a preview of what was arriving next. Iowa knew four quarters of unwavering intensity was the only way to conquer this challenge. The Hawkeyes couldn’t quite muster a productive closing.
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Plastered all over the Iowa locker room was the inevitable raw emotion that comes when special seasons have to end. The Hawkeyes again extended this postseason run as long as possible, bringing joy to their supporters and countless others across the nation. That will be appreciated by everyone associated with the Iowa program in due time, even if Sunday’s outcome stings tremendously.
“To be in this position and be with coach Bluder and make it to back-to-back national championships,” Martin said, “I just feel super grateful.”
