Angel Reese and Kelsey Plum Call Out ‘Illegal’ Screen on Gabbie Marshall as Caitlin Clark’s Win Gets Dipped in Controversy

Caitlin Clark and Iowa have advanced to their second consecutive national championship game. After a grueling battle against the 11-time NCAA champions UConn, the Hawkeyes secured a narrow 71-69 victory. However, their win is not free from the on-court controversies as some of the big names are now commenting on the officials’ decisions throughout the game. But the most dubious one came right at the end.

After Nika Muhl’s astonishing Three Point Jumper in the final minute, just a single point separated Iowa and UConn. With just 4 seconds remaining in the game, Nika Muhl advances with a ball in her hand, looking to take the lead. The moment she passed the ball to Bueckers, Aaliyah Edwards attempted to put a screen on Gabbie Marshall. Consequently, this was called an illegal screen on Edwards that resulted in two free throws for Iowa due to them being in the penalty. Soon after, this incident attracted a lot of attention from the fans on social media.

Caitlin Clark’s adversary Angel Reese along with Las Vegas Aces’ point guard Kelsey Plum also expressed their respective views. Reese commented, “wait was that screen not set clean?” on a video describing the whole on-court drama.

Meanwhile, Plum went on and said, “To call that on a game-deciding play is so wrong WOW.” 

As it turns out, these two athletes are not the only ones who don’t agree with the referee’s decision.

Read More- “Lot of Mistakes that I Made”: Humble Paige Bueckers Dismisses Illegal Screen Call Reflecting on Loss vs Caitlin Clark and Co.

Dianna Taurasi not happy with the game’s dramatic conclusion

After the game ended, former Huskies player Sue Bird Dianna Taurasi opened more on the last second offensive foul. Speaking to Scott Van Pelt at the sports center, Taurasi said, “That’s a terrible call. We always talk about let the players decide the game. It’s just tough to end the game like that.” Earlier, while she was watching the game, she and Sue Bird reacted as soon as the call was made. While Taurasi called it “an unfortunate time to call an offensive foul”, Bird nodded on her later ‘terrible’ comments.

Come what may, the women’s division now has it’s two finalists. Despite the valiant efforts, Paige Bueckers and UConn will have to try again next year for national championships. Meanwhile, for Caitlin Clark her final NCAA game will be a chance for her to finish her college basketball career on a high.

Read More- Amid Controversial Foul Call Decision, Caitlin Clark Credits Gabbie Marshall’s Match Up Against Paige Bueckers for Final 4 Win

What are your thoughts on this controversial end to the game?