On April 1, 2024, The Iowa Hawkeyes won 94-87 over the Louisiana State University (LSU) Tigers in the Elite Eight of the Women’s Division I NCAA Basketball Championship. Caitlin Clark, a senior at Iowa, is an outstanding player with numerous achievements and broken records. In her game against LSU, Clark led Iowa with 41 points, seven rebounds, and 12 assists. Her nine 3-pointers in this game allowed her to pass Diana Taurasi for the most 3s ever in the NCAA Tournament. Clark’s performance brought Iowa to victory, proving herself as one of the best college basketball players and the expected top pick for the 2024 WNBA Draft. 

This game was a rematch from the 2023 Championship where Iowa lost to LSU. The two prominent players from the 2023 tournament, Iowa’s Caitlin Clark and LSU’s Angel Reese, remained dominant in the 2024 Elite Eight matchup. Iowa started the game off strong with multiple 3’s. Angel Reece quickly responded with a 10-0 run at the end of the first quarter to put her team ahead by 5 points at the opening of the game. The atmosphere of the game changed in the second quarter when LSU’s Angel Reese suffered an ankle injury. Reese put up an impressive effort, ending with 17 points and 20 rebounds, but her injury restricted her contribution and was crucial to Iowa’s victory.

Sydney Affolter has also contributed to Iowa’s victories, particularly after Molly Davis’ injury. Affolter has been a vital source of secondary scoring for the Hawkeyes, which included 16 points in the Elite Eight game.

The next game for Iowa will be in the Final Four against the University of Connecticut (UCONN) on Friday, April 5.