The Elite Eight matchups final night time have been nothing in need of spectacular for girls’s basketball, that includes 5 standout gamers on the forefront of the sport, capturing the eye of American sports activities viewers on Monday night time.
The LSU duo of Angel Reese and rapper/hooper Flaujae Johnson took on Iowa’s Caitlin Clark in a extremely anticipated rematch of final yr’s Nationwide Championship. The night’s second sport spotlighted USC’s freshman sensation JuJu Watkins as she went head-to-head with one of the crucial full gamers within the nation, UCONN’s Paige Bueckers.
In Albany, New York, final night time, probably the most awaited girls’s basketball matchup within the sport’s historical past unfolded as LSU and Iowa clashed within the NCAA Match. The Girl Tigers emerged victorious with a 102-85 win, regardless of Iowa’s sharpshooter Clark delivering a powerful efficiency with 30 factors, eight assists, and two rebounds. Nonetheless, LSU’s depth and scoring prowess proved overwhelming for Clark’s supporting solid.
Kim Mulkey, reflecting on the night time’s occasions, echoed the sentiment that Clark was an imposing power from the beginning towards the Girl Tigers.
Hailey Van Lith after one other Caitlin Clark 3 pointer.pic.twitter.com/ZadmsNQhUx
— ✶ Ⓜ️𝕒𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕤 ▶️ ✶ (@_MarcusD3_) April 2, 2024
“She’s only a generational participant, and she or he simply makes everyone round her higher,” Coach Mulkey advised the media postgame. “That’s what the nice ones do.”
Kim Mulkey on what she advised Caitlin Clark within the handshake line: “I positive am glad you leaving. Lady, you one thing else. By no means seen something prefer it.” 😅 pic.twitter.com/tIaW8ASBLD
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) April 2, 2024
Clark completed the sport with 41 factors and 9 assists, hitting 9 three-pointers and breaking a viewership file of 9.9 million for a girls’s basketball sport. Reese was fouled out on a questionable name in the direction of the tip, whereas her group was already trailing by eight with lower than two minutes remaining. Regardless of this, she delivered a dominating efficiency with 17 factors and 20 rebounds.
The standout of the night time was Flau’jae Johnson, who led the group with 23 factors and 6 rebounds. Postgame, she made it clear how a lot work she and Reese had put in and spoke extremely of Angel Reese, one in all her closest pals, highlighting the sort of particular person she is.
Angel Reese tears up as Flau’Jae Johnson defends her from critics “Y’all don’t know Angel” pic.twitter.com/JcXDVOk5CL
— Gifdsports (@gifdsports) April 2, 2024
“Everyone is entitled to their opinion on Angel Reese, however they don’t actually know her,” Johnson advised the media. “I do. I do know the true Angel Reese, and the particular person I encounter every day is extremely sturdy. She’s caring, loving. The crown she wears is certainly heavy.”
Johnson felt compelled to talk out, not as a result of she needed to, however as a result of she needed to focus on what Reese has meant to this program and the game over the past yr and a half. The significance of psychological well being for athletes can’t be overstated, and Reese didn’t select to excel at basketball solely to face unwarranted ridicule and scrutiny.
She shared her emotions of unhappiness since profitable a championship, emphasizing that nobody deserves to endure such a sentiment all through their season. Having obtained loss of life threats, Reese needed to remind everybody that she is, in spite of everything, human.
“I simply attempt to keep sturdy… I’ve been attacked so many instances. Demise threats, I’ve been sexualized, I’ve been threatened… I’m nonetheless human. All this has occurred since I received the nationwide championship & I haven’t been joyful since then.”
– Angel Reesepic.twitter.com/fIvQWtefnx
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 2, 2024
This sport divided America, with some supporting the babyface, Clark, the underdog who struggled to recover from the hump towards the Girl Tigers.
Not solely did LSU win final yr, however additionally they turned richer once they acquired combo guard Hailey Van Lith from Louisville final summer season. Nonetheless, final night time, Hailey couldn’t sustain with Clark, who made her pay for it. Social media was abuzz, questioning why Mulkey’s in-game changes have been missing.
What Caitlin Clark is doing to Hailey Van Lith is against the law in 80 international locations
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) April 2, 2024
Clark’s media consideration has been vital, main her group to a 32-4 file. She broke the NCAA scoring file, turned the Massive Ten profession chief in triple-doubles, was named Massive Ten Participant of the 12 months, and achieved probably the most 30-point video games by any man or lady in Division I prior to now 25 years.
The matchup was a legacy sport for Clark, providing her the prospect to avenge final yr’s loss to her arch-rival and advance to the Remaining 4 in Cleveland. Each Clark and Reese, painted as rivals, have emphasised that their competitors is pleasant, with no ailing will between them. Their rivalry has considerably contributed to the expansion of the game.
The second match lacked the drama of the primary, however for actual basketball followers, it was the one to look at. The UConn Huskies, arguably probably the most dominant girls’s program of the twenty first century, are led by Head Coach Geno Auriemma, a key determine in school basketball with 27 match championships, nine-time Related Press Coach of the 12 months titles, and 11 NCAA Championships.
UConn is now 15-0 of their final fifteen Elite Eight matchups, a staggering statistic. Bueckers didn’t disappoint, outshining freshman sensation JuJu Watkins of USC.
Watkins was excellent, overcoming a poor taking pictures night time to realize a double-double, ending with 29 factors, 10 rebounds, and two assists.
UConn Guard Paige Bueckers is pursuing the one achievement that has eluded her: profitable a Nationwide Championship. Regardless of main her group to the Remaining 4 in her freshman and sophomore years, back-to-back knee accidents had put Bueckers beneath the radar as the ladies’s sport reached new heights. She got here again even stronger, and final night time, she reminded everybody why some take into account her one of the crucial full gamers within the nation, a sentiment echoed by South Carolina’s Head Coach Daybreak Staley.
“She doesn’t take dangerous photographs.”
A number of the finest speaking about among the best in Rooted Episode 3.#NCAAWBB x @UConnWBB
Watch now ⬇️🔗 https://t.co/LTI38oyQWm pic.twitter.com/G6GBFveR1J
— NCAA March Insanity (@MarchMadnessWBB) March 27, 2024
“Paige was good when she was injured,” Stayley advised the media just a few weeks in the past. “She was good within the Nationwide Championship Recreation(2022). I like Paige’s sport. For me, I would really like for her to take extra photographs if I’m Geno(Auriemma) as a result of she doesn’t take dangerous photographs. She’s bought nice court docket imaginative and prescient, she’s bought nice court docket consciousness. Paige goes to be an Olympian at some point.”
Excessive reward from a former Olympian certainly, however make no mistake, USC’s JuJu Watkins was ready and prepared for UConn. She is the subsequent face of girls’s basketball, having damaged the freshman scoring file throughout final night time’s Elite Eight matchup. As a Los Angeles native who selected to remain dwelling and lead the Girl Trojans again to prominence, she has not disenchanted since stepping onto campus.
JUJU WATKINS 👏She now holds the NCAA D1 Freshman Scoring Document!
📼 @DUNKC0MP pic.twitter.com/JsBLIWNxke
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) April 2, 2024
Successful Nationwide Freshman of the 12 months, incomes First Crew All-American honors, making the All-Pac-12 group, the All-Pac-12 Defensive group, and being named Pac-12 Freshman of the 12 months. Scoring 51 factors in a single sport this season, she positioned second in convention historical past for factors in a sport. She is right here to remain and shall be a fair higher participant subsequent yr.
Juju Watkins gave it her all this season ❤️. We’re watching a future 🐐 pic.twitter.com/kvdTlmSJ7P
— Advanced Sports activities (@ComplexSports) April 2, 2024
Now that the Remaining 4 is about, will we see Paige vs. Kaitlyn on Friday? Man, oh man, a UConn group that may defend and has a measurement benefit over this Iowa group, which doesn’t have the identical roster as final yr which may have matched up higher with the Girl Huskies. Nonetheless, take a look at under how all 4 girls, together with Flau’Jae, confirmed out final night time. These video games didn’t disappoint in any respect.
