Friday’s controversial finish grabbed a lot of eyeballs. The upset happened in the national semi-final between Connecticut and Iowa, which was one of the most anticipated matches this week in women’s collegiate basketball. And no matter how it started, with a lot of fervor, it ended on a rather sour note. Iowa’s Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes held it together for a 71-69 win in the Final Four before selling out the crowded Cleaveland’s Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. What aided to the controversy was a dispute on a foul call on Aaliyah Edwards right when Huskies had the final possession, trailing by 1 point and just 5 seconds remaining on the clock.

The NBA World followed suit as they blamed the officials for sabotaging UConn’s comeback. The sentiment was also echoed by Rudy Gay, an NBA veteran of 17 years, who also led a decorated career at UConn. He wrote, “You can’t call that!!!”

Despite the controversial decision, the stage is set for the NCAA Championship Game. Following their win against the Huskies, Caitlin Clark and Co. will face the undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks in Sunday’s Final. Clark continued her dominant form tonight to lead Iowa to victory. She finished with 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists. The Iowa superstar hopes to finish her historic season by lifting the Championship on Sunday. But it will be a tough challenge. The Gamecocks are 2-time NCAA Champions and have stayed undefeated all season. They are also seeking revenge from Iowa after getting eliminated by them last year in the Final Four round.

While Caitlin Clark prepares for the Championship game, Paige Bueckers’ season has ended untimely. She had an underwhelming performance in tonight’s loss, finishing with only 17 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. Bueckers had a historic season this year, averaging 22 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. She will return next year in hopes of winning a title before heading to the WNBA.

Fans in the stadium witnessing the moment could not help but roar their hearts out in disapproval. The other half took to X to display their disappointment.

Fans react to the Caitlin Clark-Paige Bueckers showdown

This fan claimed the officials wanted Caitlin Clark in the finals.

NBA reporter Tomer Azarly expressed his hatred for whistles deciding the outcome of a game.

WNBA legend Swin Cash claimed the referee who called a foul on the final play should not be allowed to officiate another Final Four game.

NBA stars Juan Toscano Anderson and Andre Drummond were livid at the referees for stealing the game from UConn.

Even famous YouTuber Marques Brownlee expressed disappointment at the referee’s controversial decision.

Iowa vs. Connecticut was a highly-anticipated matchup. So, the NBA World’s anger at the officials is understandable.

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