A record 9.9 million viewers tuned into ABC last April to watch the LSU Tigers take down the Iowa Hawkeyes in the NCAA Women’s Tournament national championship game. But it wasn’t just any old national title game. This contest felt like a true heavyweight fight.
In one corner you had Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, who cemented herself as the biggest star in women’s college basketball with her scoring prowess, and Steph Curry-like ability to pull up from anywhere on the floor. In the other corner was LSU, led by polarizing head coach Kim Mulkey and a double-double machine in Maryland transfer forward Angel Reese. The game itself turned into a ref show, and LSU ended up controlling the action from the second quarter onward in a 102-85 victory. But the tension in Dallas that afternoon was palpable, and it culminated with Reese taunting Clark in the final moments of the game, setting off days of national discourse over taunting and sportsmanship.
This championship showdown served as a major inflection point in the rising popularity of the women’s tournament, and with both programs returning their primary cast of characters for the 2023-24 season, we seemed destined for a rematch at some point.
It’s here. No. 1 Iowa will face No. 3 LSU on Monday in what could be the most-anticipated Elite Eight game in the history of the tournament.
Two powerhouses picking up from where the left off one year ago with a trip to the Final Four on the line. Their paths to this point have been different, yet similar at the same time as they have near identical records heading into this showdown.
Clark’s star power has only grown since last year’s title game loss, as she has shattered practically every scoring record you can think of, and is well on her way to being selected by the Indiana Fever with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. Fellow senior Kate Martin and sophomore Hannah Stuelke have been excellent complementary pieces in the starting lineup and they’ve all been under the tutelage of legendary Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder. The Hawkeyes have rolled through the NCAA Tournament so far, owning double-digit wins over Holy Cross, West Virginia, and Colorado.
Meanwhile, LSU has experienced a few bumps and bruises as the defending national champions, but have otherwise been dominant as one would expect. The beginning of the campaign was defined by Reese missing four games due to unspecified locker room issues, but the Tigers got right back to destroying teams upon her return to the court. Reese won SEC Player of the Year honors, while sophomore Flau’Jae Johnson took a huge step forward as a leader within the lineup.
Their clashes with fellow powerhouse South Carolina were chippy and their loss to the Gamecocks in the SEC Tournament title game resulted in a late-game brawl, creating anticipation for another potential rematch should they meet in the Final Four. But that’s for later. On Monday, the Tigers will be laser-focused on the team they put down to win it all last April.
So go ahead and start prepping for Monday night people. Legendary coaches, legendary players, and two familiar foes desperate to get to the top of the mountain is why we love this sport. We’ve waited an entire calendar year for these squads to clash again and the atmosphere at MVP Arena in Albany is going to be electric.