Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes will be facing off against the UConn Huskies this Saturday, in an attempt to make the finals of the March Madness tournament. The Hawkeyes booked their spot against the Huskies, after dismantling defending champions LSU in the Elite Eight [round]. After putting down the defending champs, Clark will now have to face off against her dream ‘school’ UConn.
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Clark and The Hawkeyes hit the ground running during their contest against Angel Reese and LSU. The 6-foot shooting guard from Iowa led all scorers with 41 points on the night, hitting nine three-pointers to seal the game, 94-87.
Unknown to many, Clark wanted to sign up for the prestigious program, a childhood dream that never came to fruition. The snubbing undoubtedly left a deep impact on Clark, as even her High School coach, ‘Kristin Meyer’ remembers the incident vividly. Recalling Clark’s college recruitment process, Meyers revealed [ via ESPN]
“I think they(Clark’s parent) knew even then. Her dream school was, like everyone else, UConn. She was growing up and learning for the first time about being watched, about reputation. A lot of college coaches watched the same body language sequences Meyer did. Most didn’t mind. Dowling’s open gyms are filled with the best of the best coaches in the country. One absence was conspicuous, though…Geno never came.”
Geno, or Luigi “Geno” Auriemma as he is officially known, definitely messed up during his recruitment four years prior. Auriemma knew of Clark’s eagerness to join his team but didn’t seem to entertain the five-star recruit for reasons unknown to most. Fast forward a few years, and Clark is the NCAA’s leading scorer, taking her team to back-to-back Final Four appearances, proving her detractors wrong.
Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark face off again
The upcoming match-up between the UConn Huskies and Iowa Hawkeyes will be a must-watch for all basketball fans. Clark and The Iowa squad will be entering the contest with ‘revenge’ on their mind, as Paige Bueckers and UConn had sent the Iowa-based team packing three years prior, during their sweet sixteen match-up.
Back then Bueckers and Clark were just freshmen, with Bueckers getting the better of Clark. Bueckers dropped 18 points, nine rebounds and eight assists on 7-for-18 shooting overall to help the top-seeded Huskies, as per ESPN. Clark wouldn’t be far behind, as the sharpshooter helped No. 5 Hawkeyes with 21 points, five assists, three rebounds, two steals and a block on 7-for-21 shooting overall.
It is fair to assume that Clark will be looking to make a point against Bueckers and coach Geno this time around. With Bueckers having been hurt the entirety of last year, this match-up represents the first time these teams have met in the March Madness tournament since the Huskies eliminated the Hawkeyes, three years prior.
