Tag: Caitlin Clark

Azzi Fudd and the 9 other most important players in the women’s NCAA tournament

UConn’s standout sophomore is healthy, making the Huskies look like Final Four contenders.

The women’s NCAA tournament begins Friday. Often, March Madness has showed us that, sometimes, one player can make or break a team’s chances in the tournament.

In 2019, it was an incredible streak from Sabrina Ionescu that powered Oregon to the Final Four. Last season, strong play from the duo of Emily Engstler and Hailey Van Lith lifted Louisville there. And South Carolina and UConn don’t meet for last year’s title without the awesome play of Aliyah Boston and Paige Bueckers.

So, we’ve decided to rank the most important players in the NCAA tournament this season. We couldn’t rank every player, so we omitted a few, like Maryland’s do-it-all guard Diamond Miller, stellar UNC forward Alyssa Ustby, and Oklahoma’s record-setting shooter Taylor Robertson. And we probably would’ve included Freshman of the Year frontrunner Ta’Niya Latson, but Florida State announced that she is out for the tournament.

Read up on those players by clicking those hyperlinks above, and then dive into this list.

Look: These women’s college basketball stats may surprise you

LSU’s Angel Reese leads D1 women’s basketball with the most double-doubles with 28 through 30 games with BYU’s Lauren Gustin coming second with 26 double-doubles in 32 games.

The stage is set for the 2023 March Madness Women’s Division 1 NCAA tournament. The First Four games are Wednesday and Thursday, March 15-16. Before the action gets underway, we compiled some interesting statistics for the basketball aficionado.

All stats are current through games Sunday, March 12, 2023. While players like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, and teams like the University of Connecticut and South Carolina being on the list aren’t surprising, some other teams and players are a bit less expected.

Villanova’s Maddy Siegrist holds the top spot in points per game with 28.9. Following a close second is Drexel’s Keishana Washington with 27.2 and rounding out the top three is the University of Iowa’s Caitlin Clark with 27.0.

While the top-scoring offense is Iowa with 87.5 per game, the top-scoring defense is HBCU Norfolk State with their opponent’s points per game being 50.

LSU’s Angel Reese leads D1 women’s basketball with the most double-doubles with 28 through 30 games with BYU’s Lauren Gustin coming second with 26 double-doubles in 32 games. The two then switch rankings when it comes to rebounds per game with Gustin taking the top spot with 16.6 and Reese taking second with 15.5.

BYU was not selected on Sunday to attend the tournament, so they will compete in the 2023 WNIT Postseason Tournament and will host the Rice Owls on Friday, March 17 at 7 p.m. in the Round of 64. Drexel women’s basketball also continues their season in the WNIT against Fordham on Thursday, March 16 at 7:00 pm ET.

Iowa, LSU, Villanova, and Norfolk State will all be in the 2023 March Madness Women’s Division 1 NCAA tournament, however, so you can catch Reese, Clark, Washington, and Siegrist in action.

For the full information on tournament including the schedule and how to watch the games, see our article here.

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Iowa Hawkeyes’ Caitlin Clark, Monika Czinano among AP All-American teams

Iowa is headed into the NCAA Tournament confident. Caitlin Clark and Monika Czinano have been recognized by the AP All-American teams.

Caitlin Clark and Monika Czinano are two catalysts that make Iowa go. They can play a pick-and-roll game. Clark and Czinano can read each other’s minds on passes with incredible anticipation and they can often score at will. That is why the two of them are earning deserved accolades.

She has done it again. For the second straight year, Caitlin Clark finds her way as an Associated Press first-team All-American. The Iowa Hawkeyes’ guard is a household name across basketball and across the nation right now and rightfully so.

Caitlin Clark has put up a stellar year for the Hawkeyes (26-6, 15-3 Big Ten). She is averaging 27 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.5 rebounds per game. Her numbers are out of this stratosphere. She isn’t just a volume scorer, but also efficient with a 46.9% shooting percentage, 83.1% from the free throw line, and 37.9% from 3-point range.

Czinano finds herself recognized among the nation’s best by the AP. She is an AP honorable mention All-American for her efforts this season leading the Hawkeyes in the paint.

Czinano is averaging 17.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and is making an incredible 67.4% of her attempts from the field along with a 78.1% mark at the free throw line.

The two get to suit up at home at least once, if not twice more, this weekend when they host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The No. 2 Hawkeyes open up Friday, March 17 at 3 p.m. CT against No. 15 Southeastern Louisiana.

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March Madness bracket prediction: Can Iowa win the women’s NCAA tournament?

Can Caitlin Clark provide the recipe for beating South Carolina?

It’s mid-March, which means it’s time to break out the sharpies, fill out some brackets, and maybe even make some bets.

Some of us watch a ton of college basketball all season long and have a pretty good feel for how the tournament might play out. Others cram in 20 minutes worth of research fill in our picks off that. And then some of us pick winners based on who has the best mascot.

I suppose folks would classify me in that first category: I’m an AP Top 25 voter for women’s college basketball and have been covering the sport all season long at For The Win and for a few other news organizations. Am I an expert? Probably not. Is my bracket wrong? Probably. But we’re going to have some fun and break it down anyways.

Here are my picks, and please forgive my sloppy handwriting and printer that is in-need of a tune-up.

Oh, and you can download and fill out your own bracket here.

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Mitchell Northam's 2023 women's basketball bracket prediction which is absolutely totally awesome and correct.
Mitchell Northam’s 2023 women’s basketball bracket prediction which is absolutely totally awesome and correct.

A few explanations:

  • I’m taking Creighton to advance to the Sweet 16 out of Notre Dame’s sub-regional because — despite no official word from the Irish — I don’t believe Olivia Miles will play in the NCAA Tournament, and if she does, I don’t think she’ll be 100 percent healthy. While on the bench at the ACC tournament, Miles didn’t look like someone who could jog, much less sprint while dribbling a basketball. I would love to see her play in the tournament, but I’ll be pretty surprised if she does. Even if Miles does play, Creighton shouldn’t be overlooked. The Bluejays are 11th in the nation in offensive rating (111.5), 12th in effective field goal percentage (52.8) and 10th in points per play (0.93).
  • For one of my big first-round upsets, I’m taking East Carolina over Texas. The Longhorns turn the ball over 15.2 times per game, which ranks a mediocre 144th in the nation. East Carolina is built on its defense this year, ranking third in points allowed per play (0.65), 11th in 3-point shooting defense (25.8 percent) and third in turnovers forced per game (24.2). The Pirates have what it takes to rattle Texas on its home floor.
  • In Duke’s sub-regional, I’m predicting total chaos. I don’t think my MTSU over Colorado pick will be uncommon. The Blue Raiders have a balanced attack, ranking in the top 20 nationally in both offensive and defensive rating. MTSU has also beaten two fellow tournament teams this season, including Louisville. The more farfetched upset prediction is Iona over host Duke. But here’s the thing: The Gaels can shoot the lights out of the basketball, ranking second in the nation in 3-point shooting (40.1 percent). Duke has a great defense, but the Blue Devils have struggled to overcome early deficits (see also: their last two games against Virginia Tech). If Iona connects early and often, it could make Duke’s tournament stay a short one.
  • N.C. State is a No. 7 seed, but I think the Wolfpack have the potential to advance to the Elite Eight if Diamond Johnson is healthy. Remember: This is an N.C. State team that beat Iowa in Ames earlier this season. The Wolfpack have also beaten tournament-bound teams in West Virginia, Georgia, South Florida, Miami, Louisville, Notre Dame and North Carolina. Wolfpack coach Wes Moore is a veteran of this tournament, having taken his teams to the Big Dance 15 times. While LSU is armed with a superstar in Angel Reese, the Tigers — with their 75th-ranked strength of schedule — never faced a team matching the caliber of N.C. State in non-conference play.
  • My Villanova to the Final Four pick is simply based on Maddy Siegrist catching fire. Indiana couldn’t stop Caitlin Clark. Can they contain the nation’s leading scorer at 28.9 points per game?

  • I think North Carolina is under-seeded at No. 6. A lot of folks thought the Tar Heels had the resume of a top-16 seed. Instead, Courtney Banghart’s side is off to Columbus, Ohio where they could cause a lot of problems for the Buckeyes in a potential second-round matchup.
  • Virginia Tech is one of the hottest teams in the country, having won 11 straight games. I think they’ll keep that rolling to the national championship game. No one in the ACC — which has the most teams in the tournament with eight — had an answer for the combination of Elizabeth Kitley and Georgia Amoore, and I’m skeptical that even mighty UConn will be able to stifle the duo.
  • Caitlin Clark looks like the most dynamic player in the country. She just powered her team to a Big Ten tournament championship and will likely be voted National Player of the Year. She’s averaging 27 points, 8.3 assists and 7.5 rebounds per game. She leads the nation in 3-pointers made, knocking down 3.4 per game. While South Carolina is undefeated this year, they haven’t faced a perimeter scorer with Clark’s skills. There’s no player in the SEC that really compares to Clark, the UConn team South Carolina beat didn’t have Azzi Fudd, the Maryland team that lost to the Gamecocks didn’t have Diamond Miller, and while UCLA and Stanford are great teams, they simply aren’t armed with the same threat that Clark presents. She could give South Carolina headaches.

Naismith Trophy names Caitlin Clark a semi-finalist for Women’s Player of the Year

Caitlin Clark has been nothing short of a superhero. The Naismith Trophy noticed by naming her a semi-finalist for Player of the Year.

Multiple Big Ten Player of the Week awards, countless records set and broken, and a large handful of triple-doubles are a few ways to describe the season that Caitlin Clark has had for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Whatever descriptor you choose to use, it is likely still understating the season that the Hawkeyes’ guard is having. Clark has been a superhero this year and has become a national household name among basketball of all levels.

Due to her success, a Big Ten Tournament title, and an upcoming NCAA Tournament, Clark has found herself among the semi-finalists for the Naismith Trophy. They have her among a group up for the annually award Women’s Player of the Year.

Clark’s production is off the charts this year. She is averaging  27.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 8.3 assists this year to go with her quartet of triple-doubles. Clark was named the MVP of the Big Ten Tournament as well after she posted a championship outing of 30 points, 17 assists, and 10 rebounds.

Two other big names among the semi-finalists includes fellow Big Ten member Mackenzie Holmes of the Indiana Hoosiers and Aliyah Boston of South Carolina.

The list will be cut down to four in the coming weeks with it seemingly very likely that Clark and Boston will be among that group. Clark’s output speaks for itself and provides her more than a strong case as the nation’s best player.

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Follow Riley on Twitter: @rileydonald7

Women’s College Basketball Vibe Check: Caitlin Clark is ridiculous, UConn is healthy

Is Caitlin Clark the National Player of the Year?

It’s conference tournament season, y’all.

Elizabeth Kitley and Virginia Tech won the ACC on Sunday thanks to Georgia Amoore’s wizardry and heroics. Amoore broke the tournament’s 3-point record with 14 connections from behind the arc in three games as the Hokies won their first-ever ACC crown.

South Carolina bulldozed its way to another SEC Tournament title, the Pac-12 was wild and the Big Ten saw one player just completely take things over. The only remaining Power 5 conference tournament is the Big 12, which begins Wednesday. We could see Taylor Robertson’s sharp 3-point shooting carry the Sooners far in the tournament.

We’ll touch on all that and more in this week’s VIBE CHECK, an unscientific and unserious ranking of all things in women’s college basketball.

Iowa’s Caitlin Clark hasn’t ruled out returning in 2024-25

Could we get another year of Caitlin Clark?

Caitlin Clark could grace us with her basketball prowess for another two years at Iowa. She recently went on the Dan Patrick Show and shared that her COVID eligibility year might be something she utilizes. Clark is only a junior, so after next season she might use her COVID year and play for another season.

Patrick also called Clark the “best shooter in college basketball right now, men or women.”

This is a move that has become increasingly popular in this name, image, and likeness (NIL) era in college. Since college athletes are now able to monetize their NIL, thanks to the United States Supreme Court decision in Alston v NCAA, some are making the decision to stay in college longer to develop their skills, win championships, and make money through brand deals. As Clark adeptly points out in her interview, NIL is something that is still available to professional players, in fact, professional players were able to monetize long before the court case. This concept is not new and if we want to get a little legal nerdy, NIL as we know it is actually called the Right to Publicity and is an intellectual property right that is protected by law.

Clark is a basketball powerhouse at Iowa and is known for her clutch ability to score in seemingly impossible situations. She is ranked 12th in NIL valuation as per on3 with a valuation of $147,000 annually and has cemented brand deals with Nike and Topps, just to name a few. Unlike men’s professional basketball which has 30 NBA teams, 30 G-League teams, and numerous overseas opportunities, women’s professional basketball is a bit different. There are 12 WNBA teams with plans to expand by 1-2 teams in the future. That is only a total of 144 roster spots in the WNBA. Many talented players never get drafted or play for a WNBA team or professionally even if they are among the top players in their college conferences.

More options are opening up for women’s basketball players domestically with the launch of Athletes Unlimited, but many players still must go overseas to play professionally. That leads to many issues and problems for the players. Most recently the unlawful detainment of WNBA champion and Olympic medalist Brittney Griner in a Russian prison while she was overseas playing for a team there, brought the issue of lack of domestic opportunities for players to the international spotlight. But things are changing for the better and women’s college basketball fans are able to follow the careers of their favorite players past college with easier access.

If Clark decides to use her COVID eligibility then she will have time to continue to develop as a player, earn more revenue through her NIL deals, and potentially have more roster spots available to play professional basketball domestically. And who wouldn’t want more buzzer-beaters from Clark?

Check out Hawkeyes Wire for more on Clark and Iowa

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Caitlin Clark considering two more seasons with the Iowa Hawkeyes

Caitlin Clark revealed on the Dan Patrick Show that she’s mulling the possibility of two more seasons with the Iowa Hawkeyes.

For Iowa fans caught up in Caitlin Clark mania, she revealed a potential doozy on the Dan Patrick Show this morning.

Forget about one more season with the Hawkeye superstar. How does two more seasons with Clark donning black and gold beyond the end of this year sound?

After host Dan Patrick asked how important the WNBA was to Clark, she revealed that she is mulling whether or not to play at Iowa for two more seasons.

“Very important. That’s where I want to be, but I have another year here and possibly one more after that just because of COVID, so probably will have to make a decision on that sometime next year. I really have no clue of what I’m going to do. Stay for an extra year or leave after next year, but I love watching the WNBA,” Clark said of the WNBA.

Being the professional that he is, Patrick of course followed up on that by asking again if she would seriously consider two more years in Iowa City and why.

“Yeah. I don’t know. I think I just like love this place. I love getting to play in front of a sold out crowd every single night. I don’t know. I love college basketball. I don’t know. It would be hard to leave. I think what we’ve been able to build has been super special, too. But, more than anything, I love this program, I love getting to play for coach (Lisa) Bluder, I love getting to play with my best friends.

“They’re not only my teammates, but I hang out with them every second off the court. It would be really hard to leave that, especially when you know you can go to the WNBA even the year after that. But, yeah, I mean, there’s pros and cons to both sides. I think it’s been hard for a lot of college athletes to decide what to do just because there are pros of staying in college but also your dream of reaching the next level is right there as well,” Clark said.

Clark playing two more years with the Hawkeyes would be huge news for the Iowa women’s basketball program. The full response to Dan Patrick’s WNBA question is included below. Plus, several of the other items they touched on and reaction from Hawkeye fans to this bit of news.

Here’s the full interview with the Dan Patrick Show as well.

Caitlin Clark collects Big Ten Player of the Week honor for an 18th time

The Caitlin Clark Award. For the sixth time this season and 18th time in her career, Caitlin Clark is the Big Ten Player of the Week.

The sun rises in the East. It sets in the West. It’s how it always has been, things aren’t changing and you can guarantee that it will keep on happening.

That’s pretty much the story with Iowa’s Caitlin Clark and the Big Ten weekly awards. For the 18th time in her career and for the sixth time this season, Iowa guard Caitlin Clark was announced as the Big Ten’s Player of the Week.

Of course, Clark just hit the buzzer-beating game winner to sink No. 2 Indiana, 86-85. The West Des Moines native caught the basketball with 1.5 seconds left and went to work off a Monika Czinano screen.

The rest is history as they say. Angling right, Clark buried the 3-pointer as it rattled around and down through the bucket as time expired. It’s the latest and perhaps greatest singular instance of Clark’s superstardom.

It was only amplified by the fact that Clark delivered on a GameDay stage with the program’s fifth all-time sellout crowd in attendance. She finished with 34 points on 12-of-22 shooting from the floor with nine rebounds and nine assists.

The performance against Indiana was the 12th time in Clark’s career that she has scored 30 or more points against a ranked opponent.

Iowa’s win also constituted the fourth for the Hawkeyes this season over a top-10 opponent in the Associated Press poll. That’s the most for Iowa in a single season. It’s also the first time under Iowa head women’s basketball coach Lisa Bluder that the Hawkeyes have won 15 Big Ten regular season games.

“I’m just grateful. I know that sounds boring, but I’m blessed to be around these wonderful young ladies. What a way to go out for our seniors, too. This is exactly what we need heading into the Big Ten women’s basketball tournament,” Bluder said.

Iowa (23-6, 15-3 Big Ten) heads to the conference tournament as the league’s No. 2 seed and will play the winner of No. 7 Purdue and No. 10 Wisconsin on Friday, March 3 at 5:30 p.m. CT.

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Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles is finalist for Lieberman Award

Just another honor for the Irish point guard.

Here’s hoping the knee injury Olivia Miles suffered in Notre Dame’s regular-season finale against Louisville isn’t serious. In the meantime, Irish fans can be happy that she has another honor to her name. For the second straight season, Miles has been named one of five finalists for the Nancy Lieberman Award, which is given to the country’s top point guard. A Miles win would put her in company with [autotag]Skylar Diggins[/autotag], who won the award in 2012 and 2013.

Miles is pacing the Irish in rebounds (7.2), assists (6.9) and steals (2.1). She is the only player in the country to average at least 14 points, seven points, six assists and two steals. She also ranks in the top 10 in the ACC in points, rebounds and assists, leading the last of those categories.

Also up for the award are 2022 winner Caitlin Clark of Iowa, Nika Muhl of UConn, Lauren Park-Lane of Seton Hall and McKenna Hofschild of Colorado State.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

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