Women’s March Madness: Paige Bueckers, UConn too much for Caitlin Clark, Iowa

UConn women’s basketball advanced to their 15th straight Elite Eight after defeating Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes.

UConn freshman sensation Paige Bueckers vs. Iowa’s freshmen phenom Caitlin Clark received the top billing for the Sweet 16 showdown between UConn and Iowa and the two friends put on a show for the better part of the first three quarters, but the fourth quarter was all UConn as the Huskies beat the Hawkeyes, 92-72.

UConn advanced to their 15th straight Elite Eight and will play the winner of Baylor-Michigan for a trip to the Final Four.

Bueckers nearly recorded a triple-double with 18 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, but it was more than just the Big East Freshman of the Year that helped UConn past the nation’s leading scorer, Clark.

Christyn Williams scored a game-high 27 points on 12-of-23 shooting.

Evina Westbrook came a little closer to a triple-double than Bueckers with 17 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists.

Aaliyah Edwards chipped in with 18 points.

That was too much firepower for Clark and Iowa to contend with on Saturday afternoon.

Clark led the nation with an average of 27.4 points per game this year but was held to 21 points for the day and was shutout in the fourth quarter when UConn pulled away in the final stanza.

She wasn’t as efficient from the field as she normally is, hitting on 7-of-21 shots from the field, including just 4-of-12 from 3-point range. One of the best shooters from distance in the nation, UConn’s speed on defense got her out of her rhythm, and outside of a few clutch shots in the third quarter when Iowa showed flashes, it was all UConn.

McKenna Warnock scored 20 points to help Iowa keep the game close and give Clark some scoring relief, but it wasn’t enough as UConn proved too talented and too deep for the Hawkeyes.

Sign me up for more Clark-Bueckers showdowns over the next few years. The two schools need to schedule a series for the next two years. It’ll be a great showcase for women’s college basketball.