Tuesdays with Torbee
A confession: I had near zero faith that Caitlin Clark and the Iowa women’s basketball team could avenge last season’s soul-crushing title game loss to the LSU Tigers.
Monday dawned gray and gloomy in Iowa, matching my outlook for the much-anticipated rematch.
Despite Clark’s heroics, Lisa Bluder’s steady positive leadership, Kate Martin’s tough tenaciousness and other signs that this squad was on a redemptive mission, my belief wavered.
Such is life as a fan of Hawkeye athletics. You get the chair pulled out from under you enough times when the hype rises, you get a bit flinchy. The Rose Bowl against Stanford. The Orange Bowl against USC. Northwestern State. Richmond, for crying-out-loud.
The thought of watching Kim Mulkey, Angel Reese and company celebrate themselves while taunting Iowa for the second time within one calendar year fed the dread. I guess expecting and thus accepting a loss before the ballgame even tipped off was a defense mechanism.
And then SuperClark saved the day.
We had only seen flashes of the truly spectacular Caitlin through the Sweet 16. Lots of dazzling plays, yes. But also, uncharacteristic streaky deep shooting. A little bit of frustrated body language. Especially in the games inside Carver, there was an air of heaviness, a weighing of expectations, which seemed like it might drag her down.
Monday night, she came out with the cape on.
When she let the first three rip and swished it to initiate the scoring, you knew Monday night was going to be different.
Credit to LSU, their championship DNA was evident in their relentless rebounding, athletic blocks of what looked to be easy Iowa layups and a scrappiness reflecting their hard-nosed, bulldog attitude coach. But nothing was going to stop Clark on this night.
For most of the game, Iowa’s supernova star went about her business with the calmness of an assassin. No pouting at missed calls, no palms-up displays of frustration, not much celebration even as dagger three-pointers rained down. Just laser focus and an almost workmanlike dismantling of a dangerous rival.
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Watching it live, I was not nearly as stoic. When the Tigers went on their mini first half run and achieved a seven-point lead, I thought a repeat of last year was certain. Iowa managing to tie it up at halftime helped some, but I still paced and worried.
The second half was a triumph of team basketball, orchestrated by a maestro. Clark, Martin and Affolter reminded me so much of Jordan, Pippen and Grant from the Bull’s heyday in the way the superstar set the sidekicks up for their own superlative play. All eyes were on Caitlin, allowing her teammates to shine in support.
The play of the game for me was scrappy Gabbie Marshall – giving up several inches and much bulk – to Angel Reese yet anticipating her move and block/stealing the ball from her during LSU’s final, unsuccessful comeback push.
Yes, the star shone brightest on this night – but it took the entire solar system to bring home the win.
I likely will have more trepidation and doubt as Friday’s Final Four showdown with UCONN – the baddest Big Boss in basketball – draws closer. And then if Iowa somehow manages to beat the OG women’s basketball dynasty, it all likelihood will have to once again vanquish the new dynasty South Carolina Gamecocks.
It seems like an impossible ask.
But Caitlin Clark just may be the ultimate answer.
Follow me on Twitter/X @torybrecht and the 12 Saturdays podcasts @12Saturdays.
