Caitlin Clark and Zach Edey – Tale of 2 Championship Games and 2 Historic NCAA Seasons Ending in Dismay

They have been the villains of their leagues, and they have been the superstars. In the end, both Caitlin Clark and Zach Edey go home empty-handed. Clark’s Iowa lost at the hands of the South Carolina Gamecocks yesterday while Edey also returns with a defeat against the UConn Huskies. Weren’t they destined to win? One would have naturally assumed since the two are 2x National Player of the Year title holders.

Not much could have been asked of the two on an individual level. Edey made over 61% of the team’s total tonight, ending the game with a double-double of 37 points and 10 rebounds. Similarly, Clark’s 30 points, 8 boards, and 5 assists did not hurt either. So how did the two projected favorites of this year’s Big Dance lose in the end?

The parallels between Zach Edey and Caitlin Clark’s last dance

In the initial minutes of the game tonight, Edey gave the Glendale crowd a montage reel of his best hooping skills. Some even dubbed him a demigod following his 16 of 30 team total in the first half. The party, however, was put to a halt when Hurley brought his 7-ft-plus star on the floor to guard Edey.

The senior missed an opportunity to collect 6 points with his 3 shots in the opening five minutes of the second half. Moreover, he committed a foul and a turnover. Zach Edey scored 21 points in the last fifteen minutes of the game. Consequently, the Huskies completely dominated the second half of the game and won 60-75 to repeat what Florida had done in 2007.

Clark, too, has a similar story. She had 18 of Iowa’s 27 points in the first 10 minutes. However, with Dawn Staley’s top defenders on the NCAA all-time leading scorer, the tables turned. Caitlin Clark only made one shot from beyond the arc in the second quarter. Contrastingly, she missed 5 shots.

Continuing their dominance over the generational talent, the Gamecocks only allowed 9 points to Clark in the remaining 20 minutes of the game. South Carolina tasted sweet redemption for the past year’s loss as they collected their second trophy in the last four years. Nevertheless, the result shouldn’t take away from the brilliance of both Clark and Edey. They have not only been the flag-bearers for their programs for a number of years, but they were two of the best players in the country this year.

How did Zach Edey perform in his senior year?

Edey, who had declared for the 2023 NBA Draft, eventually returned to Matt Painter as a senior in hopes of improving his pro stocks. And undeniably, he did just that. Edey has been the face of Purdue this entire year, pushing them to a 34-5 win-loss record. Being the leader of the squad, he averaged 24.9 points and 12.2 rebounds per game in the regular season. He further improved those numbers in the postseason with averages of 29.5 points and 14.5 boards.

To add more icing to the cake, Zach Edey amassed huge honors in the 2024 season. He collected the National College Player of the Year, Pete Newell Big Man Award, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, and Lute Olson Award this season. He is also the Consensus first-team All-American, NCAA season scoring leader, Big Ten Player of the Year, First-team All-Big Ten, and the Big Ten All-Defensive Team title holder.

When looking at Edey’s school and conference records, he now stands alongside Joe Barry Carroll with 1311 rebounds in Purdue’s history. Moreover, he is also only the 6th BIG 10 player to have 2000+ points and 1000+ rebounds. On February 4, 2024, Edey grabbed his 74th consecutive double-digit score and also his 55th double-double.

On a similar note, Caitlin Clark has also spread her name throughout the world for her exceptional basketball skills.

Caitlin Clark as a senior Hawkeye

Taking the world by storm does not even begin to justify what Clark has achieved in her four years at Iowa. The 2x Naismith Player of the Year has punched her way through to rewrite most, if not all, records in NCAA’s history. Totaling up to a whopping 45 records.  As a senior, the No. 22 of Iowa averaged 31.6 points and 8.9 assists. She stands first in the nation for both these categories.

As a senior, she has multiplied her trophies as well. The freshly minted National Player of the Year is also AP Player of the Year, Honda Sports Award, Wade Trophy, WBCA Coaches’ All-American, and Nancy Lieberman Award holder. She also has Unanimous first-team All-American, First-team All-American – USBWA, First-team All-American – AP, Big Ten Player of the Year, First-team All-Big Ten, and Big Ten tournament MOP titles in her resume. And of course, she is the assists and points leader in this NCAA season.

Talking about her NCAA championship tourney this year, Clark dominated her opponents. She averaged 30 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 8.7 assists in the postseason run. Although her stats are more than a justification for her popularity, her achievements off the court are also just as complement-worthy. She has brought more views, peaking up to over 24 million, to her games.

Despite all the hate and the popularity, these two athletes have changed what college basketball means. Undeniably, there is a reason why the NCAA Championship is dubbed the March Madness. Because in the end, the madness reigns over everyone, whether you win the title or not.

Read More: Donovan Clingan Renders Zach Edey’s 37 Point Double Double in Vain – Explore Dan Hurley’s Back to Back NCAA Championship Masterclass