THIS WEEK
1-Seed Iowa will face 1-Seed South Carolina in the National Championship of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. (CT) inside Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio.
WATCH/FOLLOW ALONG
» Sunday’s contest will air nationally on ABC, the Hawkeye Radio Network, and SiriusXM Channel 84.
AUDIO COVERAGE
» Rob Brooks and Tiff Reedy will call the action on the Hawkeye Radio Network.
» Brooks is in his eighth year as the play-by-play announcer for the Iowa women’s basketball team. He has been Iowa football’s sideline reporter since 2004. Brooks has called seven different Iowa sports on radio or television.
» Reedy was four-year letterwinner from 2002-06 at Iowa and is a native of Dysart, Iowa.
THE SERIES
» The all-time series is tied, 1-1.
» In the last meeting, Iowa beat South Carolina in the National Semifinal in 2023.
SCOUTING SOUTH CAROLINA
» Kamilla Cardoso scored 22 points and unbeaten South Carolina emphatically kept its perfect season going, advancing to the championship game of the women’s NCAA Tournament with a 78-59, victory over North Carolina State on Friday night.
» The Gamecocks 37 wins is a school record.
» South Carolina’s path: 16-Seed Presbyterian, 8-Seed North Carolina, 4-Seed Indiana, and 3-Seed Oregon State, and 3-Seed NC State.
IOWA’S 1-SEED HISTORY
» The Hawkeyes have been a No. 1 Seed in the NCAA Tournament three times in school history. (1988, 1992, and 2024)
» Iowa is 7-2 all-time in the NCAA Tournament as 1-Seed.
» UI has never played in the Final Four as a No. 1 Seed.
2023 NCAA TOURNAMENT IN REVIEW
» Clark became the first player in DI women’s basketball history to notch a 1,000+ points and 300+ assists single season in 2023. Clark is closing in on that this season.
» Clark produced the first 40-point triple-double in men’s or women’s NCAA Tournament history against UL. (41p, 12a, 10r)
» Against Louisville and South Carolina, Clark was the first player to net back-to-back 40-point performances in the NCAA Tourney.
» In month of March in 2023, Marshall was 23-of-47 from deep.
WHAT 2 WATCH 4
» Clark has three 40-point double-doubles in an NCAA Tournament setting (Elite Eight, 2023; National Semifinal, 2023; Elite Eight, 2024).
» Iowa is 9-4 when Clark records 40 or more points.
» Marshall is 25-of-57 from deep in the last seven games.
» Clark has 66 career games with 25+ points, 5+ assists, and 5+ rebounds. (NCAA Best)
» Over the last 25 seasons, no has recorded more 30+ point games in men’s or women’s college basketball than Clark. (58)
» Martin has recorded 15+ points in 17 games this year which is a career best.
» Clark has eight games of 10+ assists in the NCAA Tournament. (NCAA Best)
» Since 2019, the Hawkeyes are 16-4 in the NCAA Tournament.
» Martin and Clark have started 138 consecutive games together the longest streak by any Division I duo in the last 25 years.
» Iowa is 5-0 when Martin records a double-double in 2023-24.
» Clark has 21 games in her career with 35+ points, 5+ assists, 5+ rebounds which is the most in women’s college basketball since 2009.
» Clark has registered 25+ points, 5+ assists, and 5+ rebounds in 24 out of the last 31 games.
» Among active players whom didn’t transfer, Marshall (129) and Martin (126) are third and fourth nationally for most active wins in a career.
GROUP EFFORT
» Since Davis’ injury, Affolter is 33-of-60 from the floor, 10-of-16 from three point range, and 26-of-29 from the charity stripe.
» Iowa broke the Big Ten’s single season record for 3-pointers made which was set by Iowa (350) a season ago. They Hawkeyes have made 417 treys this season.
» Iowa has made 83 three-point baskets in postseason play.
» Stuelke is 34-of-47 from the free throw line the last eight games.
» Since February, Iowa is shooting 194-477 from three.
» Iowa has assisted on 66% of its field goals this year.
LISA BLUDER’S LEGACY
» Bluder owns 18 AP Top 10 wins which is the most in program history.
» Has the 10th most wins in Division-I women’s basketball history and is third among active DI head coaches. (884)
» Bluder is 23-17 all-time in NCAA Tournaments at Iowa.
» Owns the most Big Ten conference wins in conference history.
» Won seven Big Ten titles. (5 BTT’s and 2 Regular Season)
» 1-of-27 Division I women’s basketball coaches to win 20+ games in the NCAA Tournament at one institution.
» Coached two consenus National POYs.
» Has coached the Hawkeyes to back-to-back Final Fours.
» She has led UI to the Sweet 16 (2021), Elite Eight (2019), National Championship (2023) in three out of the last four championship seasons. (Covid)
» Owns eight straight 20-win seasons. It is the longest streak in her career, C. Vivian Stringer had 10 consecutive 20+ win seasons from 1984-94.
