While the Final Four contest between South Carolina and NC State was relatively unentertaining, the UConn Huskies and the Iowa Hawkeyes produced an action-packed thriller. Despite Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers not being at their usual best. With a spot on the National Championship game on the line, the contest went down to the wire, eventually being decided by a controversial call, leading to the Hawkeyes clinching a 71-69 win, per ESPN. However, while fan-favorite, Caitlin Caitlin advancing to the biggest stage in the NCAA tournament, LeBron James and other personalities from the basketball world were left enraged by how it happened.
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Trailing by 1 point, the UConn Huskies ran an offensive play which would result in Paige Bueckers determining the outcome of the game. For Bueckers to be free, she was supposed to receive an off-ball screen from Aaliyah Edwards. With Iowa’s Gabbie Marshall guarding Buecker extremely well, Edwards set what looked like a moving screen, and was later called an offensive foul.
With less than 4 seconds remaining in the game, Iowa managed to knock down 1 free throw and grabbed the offensive rebound on the second missed shot from the line. Eventually, the Hawkeyes survived the Huskies’ fourth-quarter comeback and won the contest.
However, the basketball world was convinced that the foul on Edwards was the wrong one. LeBron James, Kendrick Perkins, and Juan Toscano Anderson were among the numerous esteemed personalities from the basketball community to be livid at the call.
“NAAAAAHHHHHH!!! I ain’t rolling with that call”
“Ref stole the game. Unreal”
“That’s a BS call”
“Hate when refs are part of big stories.”
“Terrible call.”
Even LSU Tigers star Angel Reese, who suffered an Elite Eight loss against the Iowa Hawkeyes, seemed to be baffled by the call.
WNBA Legends and UConn alums Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, and Breanna Stewart, who had their own broadcast covering the game, also seemed to be in shock.
To be fair, the officials did make the right call. As clearly seen, Edwards didn’t have her feet set on the ground in time, and essentially bundled into the defensive player, before trying to disguise it as a screen. Additionally, it is also evident that the UConn forward extended her elbow to ensure that Bueckers was free.
Social media is bound to blow up, criticizing the call. However, Caitlin Clark and Co. fully deserve this win and will hope to lift their program’s first National Championship trophy tomorrow.
