After Disappointment vs Angel Reese Last Season, Why Caitlin Clark Might Be Destined To Win NCAA Championship 2024

Caitlin Clark turned heads when she announced her decision to be drafted into the WNBA 2024. Last year, resting on the exploits of the Iowa Hawkeyes star, her team made it to the Finals of the Championship title against the Louisiana State University Lady Tigers.

Though they tried their best, the Hawkeyes fell short by a margin of 102-85. However, this time around Iowa might just be perfect to lift the woodenware. Considering Clark’s performances this might be possible since she has led the team ably this season.

Supportive Players

A major reason that Iowa Hawkeyes can lift the title is that they have appeared strong this season. They have lost only 4 games and won 25 in the regular season. Moreover, in the conference round, they have a 14-3 tally. This exceptional display was recently evident when they scored 108 points against Minnesota Golden Gophers. Even in their previous game against Illinois, Hawkeyes were on a rampage scoring 101 points as opposed to 85 by their opponent.

It is these high-scoring performances that instill the fans’ belief in this team. The best part about these games is that they are a collective team effort. Clark scored a decent 33 and 24 points against both these teams, but it was due to the performance by the rest of the players that propelled Hawkeyes to a winning stage.

Other than Clark four more players scored in double digits. They were their guards Molly Davis, Gabbie Marshall, Kylie Feuerbach, and Taylor McCabe who smoked 11, 16, 13, and 15 points respectively.  Therefore, Clark is the alpha and is well supported by her players. Going forward in the March Madness, this can help Hawkeyes a lot since all of their players can come together to decimate big scores.

A Solid Defense

Another important point to note is that the team has done extremely well in rebounds. Clark has nabbed 7.4 rebounds per match while their forward Hannah Stuelke and guards Kate Martin and Sydney Affolter have grabbed 6.8, 6.3, and 6.3 rebounds per contest. The team in the Finale last year didn’t match up the defense to their offense. However, this season Hawkeyes look quite capable of neutralizing the opposition’s tactics and guarding their hoop.

Considering all four top players have shown a spectacular defense they can screen the opposition as well. This skill will go a long way in the tournament if Hawkeyes are to make an impression this season. Coming back to their regular season, the previous year Hawkeyes had a 31-7 record. This season they have lost only four games and that too mostly by narrow margins.

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The Lisa Bluder-coached team lost to Kansas State by a 65-58 margin. Again during their game against Ohio State, Hawkeyes displayed a high ceiling and missed out by a 92-100 margin that too in overtime. Similarly, they gave a solid performance against Nebraska Cornhuskers by scoring 79 in response to the opposition’s 82. The only game that was a humiliating loss for Hawkeyes was against Indiana Hoosiers that they lost by a margin of 69-86.

An Experienced Team

Another important driving factor for Hawkeyes is that they had the departure of one of their core players this season – Monika Czinano. Czinano had supported Clark last season to a great extent and was one of the mainstays in Hawkeyes lineup. But going by their performances this season, Hawkeyes haven’t felt the need of Czinano. Instead their top 3 players other than Clark have been the pillar of support for the NCAA icon and that has helped this team heap massive scores in crucial matches.

One of the major factors to consider is that this team has only two freshmen namely- Kennise Johnson and Ava Jones. And Hawkeyes haven’t needed their service. Therefore, this is a team that relies on experience a lot. It can be one of the major factors that Carver-Hawkeye team is difficult to stop. While other teams have freshmen who are still adjusting to the college basketball circuit and are experimenting with team combinations, Hawkeyes know what they are going for and how to go about it. 

And yes, none of the discussion regarding Hawkeyes can be complete without mentioning Clark. Clark recently broke Kelsey Plum’s record for all-time leading scorer in the women’s college basketball circuit and she is inching closer to the all-time record set by the legendary Pete Maravich. With only 18 points left to surpass Maravich, Clark is no doubt the X Factor for this team and she has the ability to do magic out of thin air when needed.

Can Hawkeyes win it?

Whether Hawkeyes are poised to win the March Madness will be clearer when they battle it out against Ohio State in their next. Because they had lost against Ohio previously by a 92-100 margin, it remains to be seen if Caitlin Clark & Co. have learned from their mistakes. How they take the floor in their next game and use their defense will be an interesting watch.

If Hawkeyes defeat Ohio, then they have all the things needed to form a winning combination in the March Madness. As the tourney progresses, fans would be waiting for Clark to go all guns blazing and be as successful and effective in the postseason as she has been in the regular one.