LSU Tops Caitlin Clark, Iowa for WCBB Title as Fans Rip 'All-Around Awful' Refs
Caitlin Clark dominated the spotlight entering the 2023 NCAA women's basketball tournament, but the referees stole the show as LSU beat Iowa 102-85 for the program's first national championship on Sunday at American Airlines Center in Dallas.
The two teams combined for 37 fouls across the 40 minutes. Monika Czinano fouled out in the fourth quarter, while Clark battled foul trouble all game. The same was true for Angel Reese and LaDazhia Williams for LSU.
In general, the consensus on social media was that the officiating didn't influence the outcome but hurt the final contest as a spectacle in what was a great tournament all around.
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LSU's performance will be remembered the most as time goes on.
Reese recorded 15 points and 10 rebounds to earn an NCAA record-setting 34th double-double this season. The sophomore forward impacted every facet of the game through her scoring, rebounding, defense and playmaking.
Jasmine Carson also had one of the best halves of basketball ever on this grand a stage. She went 5-of-5 from beyond the arc and dropped 21 points as LSU shredded Iowa's defense in the opening 20 minutes.
The senior guard's buzzer-beating triple was the perfect capper to the Tigers' scintillating start.
In the end, LSU simply overwhelmed Iowa. The Hawkeyes were in trouble when Clark had 14 points in the first quarter and they still trailed 27-22. She finished with 30 on 9-of-22 shooting and eight assists.
Outside of a brief flurry in the third quarter, this wasn't much of a game.
Sunday is exactly why LSU hired Kim Mulkey away from Baylor and brought her back to the state she grew up in. University administrators may not have expected the 60-year-old to deliver a title by her second season, though. The Tigers exceeded expectations in 2021-22, and the addition of Reese through the transfer portal put them over the top.
Considering most of LSU's key players are coming back to Baton Rouge, a return trip to the Final Four could be on the cards in 2024.
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