Tag: NCAA tournament 2023

LSU star Angel Reese mocked Caitlin Clark with her own celebration at the end of title game

LSU’s Angel Reese used Caitlin Clark’s own taunt against her as the Tigers beat the Hawkeyes for the title.

LSU sophomore forward Angel Reese decided to throw some absolutely perfect shade right at Iowa junior guard Caitlin Clark toward the end of Sunday’s 2023 women’s NCAA tournament championship game.

As the clock ticked down on LSU’s 102-85 title victory, Reese decided to do the John Cena “you can’t see me” taunt that Clark used earlier in the tournament right to Clark’s face.

Reese also pointed to her ring finger as another jab at Clark and Iowa, a team that entered the day as the favorite to walk away with the championship.

Clark has done her fair share of taunting during the 2023 women’s NCAA tournament, so it’s really not all that surprising that LSU’s star forward would return the favor during the victorious moment.

Ahead of Sunday’s game LSU senior guard Alexis Morris called out Clark for what she called “disrespectful” defense, and the Tigers seem to have not taken Clark’s confident style of play lightly.

In a game that featured questionable officiating and plenty of controversy, you’ve got to hand it to Reese for reminding us all that this is all just a game. Being hilariously petty comes with the territory.

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LSU coach Kim Mulkey stood on the court constantly during the title game, frustrating fans

Fans had NO IDEA why LSU coach Kim Mulkey was allowed on the court so much in Sunday’s women’s NCAA tournament championship.

Sunday’s 2023 women’s NCAA tournament championship between LSU and Iowa got plenty of frustration from fans.

Folks felt the game’s rampant officiating caused pacing issues and wasn’t fair for either team, and the refs giving Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark a bizarre technical foul also caught a lot of flak from those watching.

However, LSU coach Kim Mulkey got plenty of criticism for standing on the court far, far more than any college coach should be allowed.

At one point, Mulkey standing on the court and expressing her negative feelings something in the game caused her to make contact with one of the referees. Somehow, she did not receive a technical foul for the incident.

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LSU’s Jasmine Carson was on fire in the NCAA title game with 21 points and a perfect first half

Jasmine Carson went OFF for LSU during the first half of the 2023 women’s NCAA title game.

During Sunday’s 2023 women’s NCAA tournament championship, it wasn’t Iowa women’s basketball superstar Caitlin Clark that was grabbing the most attention.

LSU senior guard Jasmine Carson caught fire for the Tigers coming off the bench during the title game’s first half, scoring 21 points and not missing a single shot.

She was indeed perfect from the arc and in the paint, leading LSU to a surprising 59-42 lead at halftime over Iowa.

Carson transferred to LSU from West Virginia this season and has averaged 8.4 points a game this season for the Tigers.

She also banked an incredible 3-pointer at the buzzer before the half ended to give LSU that commanding margin.

Per our Mitchell Northam, Carson’s stellar first half is building to perhaps the best game of her collegiate career.

Iowa senior Kate Martin also didn’t miss a shot during the game’s first half, scoring seven points for the Hawkeyes.

Although, all eyes were on Carson for her fantastic first half for LSU.

The rampant officiating during Iowa-LSU’s women’s NCAA tournament title game made fans furious

NOBODY was happy about the officiating during Sunday’s Iowa-LSU title game.

Nobody likes it when referees dictate the pacing of a national title game, and you can bet folks were out complaining about it during Sunday’s 2023 women’s NCAA tournament championship.

One of the most anticipated women’s basketball games in quite a while, the heavyweight fight between Iowa and LSU saw its first quarter hampered by a spattering of questionable calls from the referees.

The pacing of the game like this is critical for players like Iowa’s Caitlin Clark and LSU’s Angel Reese to get in a rhythm. If the refs don’t slow the whistles down, folks will not be happy at home or in the stands.

AP women’s basketball reporter Doug Feinberg noted that the refs’ lack of familiarity with both teams might be contributing to the day’s frustrations.

Even LSU coach Kim Mulkey’s son, St. Louis Cardinals infielder Kramer Robertson, wasn’t happy about the officiating.

Caitlin Clark hoped Taylor Swift would stop by for Iowa-LSU championship game

We need Caitlin Clark and Taylor Swift to meet ASAP.

Iowa women’s basketball phenom Caitlin Clark hoped a certain celebrity would be in attendance for Sunday’s 2023 women’s NCAA tournament finale.

As the Hawkeyes prepped to take on LSU in the national championship game, Clark shared that she’s a big fan of music powerhouse Taylor Swift and shared she hoped Swift would stick around for the day’s big game.

With Swift set to perform in Dallas as part of her ballyhooed Eras Tour at AT&T Stadium, Clark sure hoped she’d hop over to catch one of the most anticipated women’s basketball games in some time.

Sure, Swift might’ve been busy getting ready for the show, but no way she’d want to miss the opportunity to see Clark in action, right?

Two marquee events in the Dallas area in one day is a pretty great way to celebrate if you’re in town, and folks could hypothetically go watch Iowa and LSU before seeing Swift that night.

We’ll see if Swift was able to take up Clark on her invitation, but maybe the two will get to meet each other when Clark goes to join her fellow Swifties later this year.

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Miami’s Nijel Pack broke a sneaker and sparked a Final Four catastrophe on the bench

Shoegate became a reality for Miami’s Nijel Pack during the Final Four.

Miami sophomore guard Nijel Pack ran into quite a conundrum during Saturday night’s 2023 men’s NCAA tournament Final Four bout with Connecticut.

During the game’s second half, Pack’s shoe fell apart, and the team wasn’t able to locate him a replacement pair fast enough to quickly get him back out on the court.

The first pair the team found him didn’t fit, so Pack had to chill on the bench until someone on Miami’s staff could locate him the proper pair.

As you can probably guess, having one of your star players lose their shoes in the middle of a Final Four game is not ideal!

Thankfully for Pack and Miami, someone on the team’s staff hustled to make sure he eventually got the right fit.

Pack wound up getting a new pair of shoes and returned to the game. While it seems absolutely bizarre for a college basketball player in such a major moment to not have a backup pair of shoes to wear, we guess stranger things have happened.

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At the very least, any sort of comeback would’ve had quite the narrative segue if Pack played a major role.

The best reactions to SDSU’s Final Four buzzer-beater from Petco Park to Miami’s tunnel

A San Diego State miracle!

Lamont Butler, welcome to the March Madness history books.

The San Diego State University junior became a college basketball legend on Saturday night in NRG Stadium by drilling a buzzer-beating jump shot to send his team to the national championship game in epic fashion.

In a tournament that always delivers, Butler provided the best moment yet in 2023 with San Diego State’s 72-71 victory over Florida Atlantic— one reminiscent of the shot Kris Jenkins hit in 2016 to win the title for Villanova in the same building.

College basketball fans across the country were stunned and the reactions were priceless. Here are the best from inside the building in Houston and around the country.

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San Diego State’s Lamont Butler hit an absolutely stunning Final Four buzzer-beater

LAMONT BUTLER. SAN DIEGO STATE. ONIONS.

San Diego State junior guard Lamont Butler willed his team to the 2023 men’s NCAA tournament championship game with one of the best buzzer-beaters you’re likely to see this year.

As the seconds ticked down to zero, Butler got off the hero shot with his team down by a point to Florida Atlantic in the first Final Four game of the day.

The ball went right through the hoop as the buzzer sounded, helping cement the comeback victory for San Diego State.

SDSU players, coaches and fans immediately went wild as their team notched the game-winning basket in Houston, giving college basketball fans similar shades of the Kris Jenkins buzzer-beater that gave Villanova a national title in 2016.

That is exactly what March Madness is all about. Butler’s terrific bucket will be talked about by San Diego State fans for decades to come.

The team will move on to Monday’s championship game between the winner of Miami and Connecticut.

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15 best photos from Caitlin Clark’s historic women’s NCAA tournament run

Check out these fantastic photos of Iowa basketball superstar Caitlin Clark’s historic women’s NCAA tournament.

Iowa women’s basketball superstar Caitlin Clark is having a 2023 women’s NCAA tournament run for the ages.

Even if you’re just a casual women’s basketball fan, you’ve surely been amazed by what Clark has been able to do for Iowa during this women’s NCAA tournament.

Whether it’s watching Clark going up for a stunning layup or celebrating with her Hawkeyes teammates, it’s just been a thrill to see her dominate on the court as her team competes for a program-first championship on Sunday against LSU.

Let’s look back on her phenomenal March Madness with some of the best photos of her in action.

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When will Caitlin Clark be eligible for the WNBA Draft?

Just how long will it be before Iowa women’s basketball star Caitlin Clark can play in the WNBA?

Iowa women’s basketball superstar Caitlin Clark is taking the sports world by storm.

After her explosive 2023 women’s NCAA tournament Final Four performance, she helped her Hawkeyes reach Sunday’s national title game against LSU.

If Clark’s team is victorious, it would be Iowa’s first-ever championship in women’s basketball. The team has only made two Final Four appearances, this year and in 1993.

Many will wonder if Clark will turn an all-time women’s college hoops career into an WNBA career after this season, but that won’t come until 2024 at the earliest.

Clark isn’t eligible to declare for the 2023 WNBA Draft since she is still a junior with Iowa.

However, she could opt to stay with the program after the 2023-24 season if she chooses to use the extra year of eligibility granted to NCAA athletes because of the COVID-19 pandemic, per Sporting News.

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Whenever she does want to go pro, it’s incredibly likely she’d be the highly coveted top pick in the WNBA Draft.

Until then, she’ll be lighting up the scoreboard in Johnson County, Iowa.