For the first time in 30 years, the Iowa Hawkeyes are headed to the Final Four. Iowa (30-6, 15-3 Big Ten) heads to Dallas where two more wins would hand the Hawks their first national championship in program history.
Now, that Iowa is this close, you can’t help but dream, right?
For now, that dream can wait at least a moment so fans can savor this Seattle 4 Region crown. Caitlin Clark delivered another historic performance, registering the first-ever 40-point triple-double in either men’s or women’s college basketball history to power Iowa into the game’s biggest stage.
Clark and Iowa’s Final Four dream comes true. Even though others said it wouldn’t ever happen.
“About the only people that believed were me and her when I first committed to her and it was getting the locker room to believe and then everybody in the locker room believed and the rest is kind of history.
“But a lot of people told me it would never happen when I came to the University of Iowa. But she believed in me and that was really all that mattered. And we made our locker room believe and when you dream and work really hard, a lot of really cool things can happen,” Clark said.
Afterwards, Iowa head women’s basketball coach Lisa Bluder summed up her immediate emotions on reaching her first career Final Four with the Hawkeyes about like one might expect.
“Yeah, I’m just pretty thankful right now. I don’t know if it’s kind of really sunk in yet. But this group is amazing and just to do the thing you love with the people that you love it doesn’t get any better than that. That’s exactly how this team is. I mean, everybody talks about being a family. This is a true family. We have each other’s backs through highs and lows and we’re just very thankful that we get to represent the great state of Iowa in the Final Four,” Bluder said.
The whole night turned into a Seattle 4 Region coronation for the Hawkeyes. Here’s the best photos from Iowa’s signature win and a look at the always special net-cutting ceremony.