How L.S.U. Beat Iowa to Win Its First most memorable N.C.A.A. Women’s Championship
Jasmine Carson scored 21 points off the bench for the Tigers in the first half, and Alexis Morris scored 19 in the second. Caitlin Clark led a comeback attempt that fizzled out as she played in foul trouble.
N.C.A.A. Women’s Basketball: Final Four
- Final
- 1South Carolina73
- 2Iowa77
- Final
- 3Louisiana State79
- 1Virginia Tech72
- Final
- 2Iowa85
- 3Louisiana State102
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Louisiana State Coach Kim Mulkey had been trying to temper expectations all season.
She had added nine new players. Who knew how they would jell? In her second year coaching at L.S.U., nobody should expect a national championship, she argued.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
As L.S.U. celebrated on the court, Clark and Czinano made their way to the press conference area with towels around their necks.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
This was the highest-scoring N.C.A.A. women’s title game ever, with 187 total points. No team had cracked the 100-point mark before L.S.U. did it today.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Under a shower of confetti, the L.S.U. Tigers receive their championship trophy with Garth Brooks’s “Callin' Baton Rouge” ringing through the arena.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Including Coach Mulkey dancing on stage with her grandchildren.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Angel Reese is named the most outstanding player of the Final Four. She is joined on the all-tournament team by L.S.U. teammates Alexis Morris and Jasmine Carson, Iowa’s Caitlin Clark and South Carolina’s Zia Cooke.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
“This is what I came here for,” Kateri Poole said to Angel Reese as confetti rained down on the two. Poole transferred to L.S.U. from Ohio State; Reese transferred to L.S.U. from Maryland.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
A nice moment between Kim Mulkey and Caitlin Clark in the handshake line.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Mulkey was embraced by her assistant coaches at the final buzzer. Lots of happy tears from the L.S.U. bench!
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
The Tigers have it: L.S.U. is the national champion, its first title in program history as it defeats the Iowa Hawkeyes, 102-85.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
A banked-in 3-pointer from Alexis Morris, and that will do it.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Caitlin Clark just took a very long 3-point shot that bounced off the rim. It’s 98-82, L.S.U.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
With a 13-point lead and a title 90 seconds away, L.S.U. fans are on the feet.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
L.S.U. players are starting to point at their ring fingers.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
For all the fouls in this game, it’s a bit surprising that L.S.U. coach Kim Mulkey hasn't gotten a technical. It seems like she's been close.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Monika Czinano is out of the game with her fifth personal foul.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
The foul was called on an offensive screen. Czinano leaves with 13 points in 22 minutes.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Official attendance is in: 19,482, a sellout at American Airlines Center.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
As she has all tournament, Alexis Morris is making all the right decisions to keep L.S.U. ahead.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
With her 10th rebound just now, Angel Reese has set a new Division I record for double-doubles in a season, with her 34th. Reese has scored 13 points.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Iowa seemed to double down on its main offensive strategy in the third quarter — go for 3-pointers early and often. The Hawkeyes were staring down a 17 point deficit at halftime, and were looking to close the gap as quickly as possible.
The mood on Iowa’s bench was looking grim, until suddenly, they made a string of stops and hit a string of shots.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Clark has talked about strengthening her mental game when things don’t go her way. Things are … not going her way. This will be an interesting final quarter.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Iowa is in major foul trouble: With a technical foul just assessed on Clark, both she and Czinano have four fouls, and the third quarter isn’t even over.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Clark earned her fourth on a technical foul after a foul by Czinano. Both are on the bench, with Iowa down by 11. This is a nightmare scenario for the Hawkeyes.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
L.S.U. might have the lead, but Clark is still making history. She has broken the single-tournament record for most 3-pointers and the single-tournament record for most points scored, according to the N.C.A.A.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Every game has a breakout star, and today it’s L.S.U.’s Jasmine Carson, who has five 3-pointers so far. The 5-foot-10 guard from Memphis is playing in her fifth and final year of eligibility with the Tigers after transferring to L.S.U. as a graduate student from West Virginia, and Georgia Tech before that. Her career scoring high came in February against Florida when she had 25 points. Halfway through the third quarter, Carson is leading the Tigers with 21 points.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Iowa is starting to find its footing again and is on a 15-2 run. The Hawkeyes have closed the gap slightly in the third quarter; the Tigers lead, 65-57.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
The lead for L.S.U. had been up to 21. But four 3-pointers from Iowa in that run have the Hawkeyes right back in it.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Monika Czinano now has her third foul. Clark also has three.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
A glimmer of hope for Iowa fans: L.S.U. squandered a 17-point first-half lead in the Southeastern Conference semifinal against Tennessee.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
If Louisiana State keeps shooting like this, the title might not be far behind.
The Tigers lead, 59-42, at halftime of this N.C.A.A. women’s championship game, sinking six 3-pointers in the second quarter alone — their highest total since the opening round of the tournament. Jasmine Carson electrified the arena with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer — making her a perfect 5 of 5 from beyond the arc in the first half.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Carson’s highest-scoring game this season was against Florida on Feb. 19, when she had 25 points. She has 21 so far today in just 12 minutes of action.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Two games ago, L.S.U. had its worst shooting game of the season. The Tigers went 1 of 12 on 3-pointers in their round-of-8 matchup against Miami and scored just 54 points. It was a game Mulkey said she would have turned off if she were watching at home. Now, the Tigers can’t miss.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
L.S.U. players celebrated that 3-pointer at halfcourt they won the title. With a 17-point lead, they are just 20 minutes away from doing that.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
And that’s ANOTHER 3 from Jasmine Carson to beat the first-half buzzer. L.S.U. is up, 59-42.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
To put into perspective just how unbelievably L.S.U. is shooting, the Tigers shot 7 for 38 from 3 in its previous three games. They have eight 3-pointers in the first half today.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
The Hawkeyes have long prided themselves on being able to play their own game, to keep calm in stressful moments. That’s being tested in this game as L.S.U has a 12-point lead.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
The refs are blowing the whistle often today, with 19 fouls called so far. Reese hasn’t played this quarter as she sits with two, and Clark just went to the bench with her third.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
L.S.U. has managed to stay afloat without Reese because of Carson. Let’s see if Iowa can do the same without Clark.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Caitlin Clark now has three fouls.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Clark did not agree with that call. (And neither did the many Hawkeyes fans in this arena.)
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Jasmine Carson is playing out of her mind. She has four 3-pointers and is up to 16 points.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
When Iowa players not named Caitlin Clark are shooting like this, they are nearly impossible to beat. But L.S.U. is still leading because the Tigers have already hit five 3-pointers, their most since the opening round of this tournament. Jasmine Carson has two of them.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Jasmine Carson has 10 points so far, including 5 in this quarter. With Angel Reese on the bench, the Tigers have still managed to increase their lead.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Iowa opened the first quarter with back-to-back 3-pointers, but not from Clark — that was the work of Gabbie Marshall and Kate Martin.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
As Louisiana State guard Flau’jae Johnson knocked down the first 3-pointer of the game, it was clear that Iowa couldn’t approach this matchup in the same way it had during its upset win over South Carolina in the semifinal.
In that game, Iowa guard Caitlin Clark roamed the paint and left several Gamecocks guards open, who could not capitalize on the open opportunities.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Both L.S.U. and Iowa are running on gas. But the Tigers have a slight edge against the Hawkeyes, leading, 27-22, at the end of the first quarter.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Neither team is happy with the early foul situation: Iowa has seven team fouls, and L.S.U. has five as the first quarter wraps up.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Angel Reese just got her second foul, and Kim Mulkey was displeased. Hawkeyes fans have been screaming for a technical on Mulkey.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Angel Reese made sure to let the Iowa crowd know that Monika Czinano had two fouls. She raised her two fingers and yelled “that’s two” as Czinano exited the game.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Iowa fans were yelling things at the referees that cannot be published by The New York Times.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Ahead of today’s championship game, the Tigers said they knew they would need to slow Caitlin Clark in order to win. So far, that’s been a struggle. She already has 12 points, and we’re not even at the end of the first quarter.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
To Talya’s point, the partnership between Clark and Monika Czinano is really something. They know exactly how to set each other up for success.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
So far, L.S.U. has been able to keep pace with Iowa’s 3-point machine. Both teams are 2 of 3 from beyond the arc.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Caitlin Clark just scored the first of what is expected to be many 3-pointers from her, and L.S.U. called a quick timeout. Iowa is up, 7-3.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
There are a few celebrities in the arena this afternoon, including Emmitt Smith, Billie Jean King and a special visitor from Washington: the first lady, Jill Biden.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Iowa fans have taken over the arena. There are yellow-and-black Hawkeyes T-shirts throughout, and fans are roaring like it's a home game as Iowa’s starters are announced.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Iowa’s home stadium is the Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. When the team travels, the fans come with them in force. It's no surprise to hear Hawkeye fans call American Airlines Center “Carver South.”
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
The L.S.U. starters are being announced, and you know what that means. Angel Reese now has her crown.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
We don’t have official numbers in yet, but from where I’m sitting courtside, I only see a handful of empty seats in this 20,000-seat arena.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Alexis Morris began her college career as a player under Coach Kim Mulkey and will end her college career under Mulkey. But her road to the championship game has been anything but linear.
Morris, a fifth-year senior who led the Tigers with 27 points in their win over Virginia Tech on Friday, started playing under Mulkey at Baylor in 2017. But she was dismissed from the team for violating team rules before the start of the 2018 season, and ended up at Rutgers, where she medically withdrew after the 2020 season. In 2020-21, she played for Texas A&M before asking Mulkey for another shot, this time at Louisiana State.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Defenses had employed the strategy against South Carolina all season. They would sit in zone defenses, and sag off all of the team’s guards not named Zia Cooke, helping with the Gamecocks’ towering centers in the paint.
Iowa used that strategy in its upset win over South Carolina, but Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark took the approach to a new level. Clark often turned her back to South Carolina guard Raven Johnson, and in one instance, turned her back from down low and waved off Johnson standing wide open at the 3-point line with the ball.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
L.S.U.’s Angel Reese has been big on the boards all year. On Sunday, she has a chance to set a record.
Reese has recorded 33 double-doubles this season, averaging 23.3 points and 15.6 rebounds. She currently sits tied atop women’s Division I for double-doubles in a season, with Courtney Paris of Oklahoma, who accomplished the feat in the seasons ending in 2006 and 2007; Natalie Butler of George Mason in 2018; and Megan Gustafson of Iowa in 2019.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Hello, from American Airlines Center in Dallas! We have Louisiana sparkles. We have Iowa yellow. We have very, very good basketball ahead of us. Fans are starting to fill the arena now as Louisiana State and Iowa finish up their warmups.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
A new era in college sports began in the summer of 2021, after a series of state laws went into effect that made it illegal for the N.C.A.A. to prohibit athletes from earning money from the use of their name, image and likeness, a category now known as N.I.L. Overnight, the experience of college athletes was transformed.
Water polo players could advertise for summer swim lessons, and stars like the Connecticut guard Paige Bueckers or the Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams could garner millions in endorsements.
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese will likely be playing against each other for a very long time.
The breakout stars leading Iowa and Louisiana State to the N.C.A.A. women’s basketball championship game on Sunday — a first for both teams — are two of the best players in the country, with some of the most lucrative marketing deals among college athletes.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Across the country, dozens of collegiate pep bands have followed their classmates as they have competed in the men’s and women’s N.C.A.A. basketball tournaments. While the teams have faced the pressure to survive and advance to the next round, groups of about 30 band members have provided the soundtrack to the games from the stands, just past the sidelines.
With courtside seats and formal absence excuse letters for their professors, the band members may just have the best jobs in the tournament.
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
Angel Reese of Louisiana State and Caitlin Clark of Iowa revel in their own talent. The biggest stars left in collegiate basketball know exactly how good they are and they are not afraid to flaunt it.
Reese’s pregame handshake includes a gesture of a crown. When Clark hits a 3-pointer from the logo, she has mimicked the iconic Michael Jordan shrug. After especially ludicrous plays, Reese licks her fingers. When defenders fail to keep Clark in check, she has waved her hand in her face as if to say “you can’t see me.”
Reporting from the Final Four in Dallas
The stage is set, the fans are loud, and all that’s left to do is play the game. So … who’s going to win?
The betting line opened at Iowa over L.S.U. by 1.5 points on Friday night, but that grew to 3.5 points by Sunday.
The nail-biting victory for Caitlin Clark and Iowa over South Carolina on Friday night in the N.C.A.A. women’s basketball tournament semifinal was watched by an average of 5.5 million viewers, ESPN said on Saturday, citing early data from Nielsen. That is the third-largest audience ever on ESPN for a women’s college basketball game, and the largest audience ever for a semifinal.
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