The LSU Tigers won their first NCAA women’s basketball title on Sunday (April 2), taking down National Player of the Year Caitlin Clark and Iowa 102-85.
The 3rd-seeded Tigers’ 102 points set the record for the most points scored in a women’s championship game, as did their 59 first-half points. They shot 54% from the field in the game, including nearly 65% from three, and out-rebounded the Hawkeyes 37-26.
LSU HAS CAPTURED ITS VERY FIRST NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!#NationalChampionship x @LSUwbkb pic.twitter.com/It5SsFHAxo
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) April 2, 2023
After a back-and-forth first quarter, LSU took control in the second, heading into halftime with a 17-point lead despite 16 points from Clark. The Tigers shot 58% from the field and 75% from three in the first half, led by Jasmine Carson‘s 21 points off the bench on a perfect 5-5 shooting from beyond the arc.
The 2nd-seeded Hawkeyes still shot 50% from the field in the first half, but Clark was sidelined for a good amount of that time with three fouls. Entering the third, LSU extended their lead to as many as 21 but Iowa stormed back, bringing the deficit to 11 heading into the fourth. Clark did pick up her fourth foul, getting called for a delay-of-game technical with 1:03 left in the third.
Caitlin Clark received a technical for this moment.
Do you agree? pic.twitter.com/yjxeDDTFU7
— ESPN (@espn) April 2, 2023
In the fourth quarter, it was LSU’s Alexis Morris getting her shine, scoring 15 of her 21 points in the final frame. She scored over half of the Tigers’ 27 points in the fourth, also adding nine assists on the night as LSU led for more than 34 minutes in their victory. Their 14-7 advantage on the offensive boards helped as well.
Along with Carson and Morris, forward LaDazhia Williams had a 20-point game for the Tigers, also adding on five rebounds and three steals. Forward Angel Reese captured her NCAA-record 34th double-double, putting up 15 points and 10 rebounds.
In the end, Clark’s 30 points were not enough for the Hawkeyes, who knocked off undefeated South Carolina in the Final Four to get to the championship game. She finishes as the leader in points for a single NCAA tournament, scoring 191 through six games.
LSU head coach Kim Mulkey — who coached Baylor to three national championships in her 21 years there — becomes the first women’s coach to lead multiple schools to national titles. It’s just her second season at LSU after inheriting a team that went 9-13 the year before she got there.
Reese took home the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, averaging 21.3 points, 15.2 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 2.5 blocks a game during her team’s championship run. She was also responsible for a viral instance of taunting, waving her hand in front of her face like Clark did after Iowa’s Elite Eight win over Louisville. The moment sparked loads of discussion on social media, even garnering a segment on popular sports talk shows like Undisputed and First Take.
ANGEL REESE HIT CAITLIN CLARK WITH THE "YOU CAN'T SEE ME" 👀 pic.twitter.com/Zj3mqIzkk9
— ESPN (@espn) April 2, 2023
Overall, the women’s tournament was a success, with over 350,000 people attending the games according to the NCAA — a record for the event. Tickets for the women’s Final Four were more than three times the price of the men’s and the championship game was the most-viewed women’s game on record, showing how popular women’s basketball has become.
What did you think of the women’s national championship game? Let us know by leaving a reaction at the bottom of this post or by tweeting us @celebsecrets.
