Iowa defeated Holy Cross in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament with Caitlin Clark leading the way – but she needed to overcome a physical defense after she was struck in the face

Caitlin Clark responded to being struck in the face by using her scoring prowess to inspire Iowa to a dominant win over Holy Cross in March Madness.

In the first round of the thrilling NCAA Tournament, Clark and Iowa faced off against Holy Cross. Clark, who is heading to the WNBA where she is expected to be the first=overall pick for the Indiana Fever, scored 27 points and added 10 assists as Iowa clinched the 91-65 victory.

While defeating Iowa was a daunting task, the Crusaders certainly held their own, at least in the early going. Bronagh Power-Cassidy led the way for Holy Cross with 19 points – including 17 in the first half after four three-point strikes.

She found herself a target on social media when Power-Cassidy accidentally elbowed Clark. Some Iowa supporters accused the player of deliberately attempting to injure Clark despite Power-Cassidy’s protestations to the contrary.

Power-Cassidy apologized immediately after the moment and apologized again in the post-game press conference. She insisted she had broken her had in a game last week and was hoping to avoid any contact with the damaged appendage.

“When I was moving, I just conscious of keeping it out of the way of too much contact,” Power-Cassidy said. “It wasn’t intentional at all and she [Clark] was a great sport about understanding.”

Caitlin Clark scored a team-high 27 points as Iowa advanced to the second round ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
Plus, Power-Cassidy expressed respect for Clark entering the contest. “She’s the face of college basketball – men’s and women’s right now,” Power-Cassidy told reporters this past week. “It’s huge, and as a female basketball player, I just have so much respect for her and what’s she’s done for the sport.”

Ultimately, Iowa pulled away from Holy Cross as Clark found her rhythm. With March Madness underway, all eyes are on the 22-year-old after her recent success.

Last month, after breaking the women’s scoring record, Clark surpassed Pete Maravich’s all-time NCAA scoring record of 3,667 points set 54 years ago. She hopes to continue her form and inspire Iowa to a national championship.