In a Record-Breaking Game, LSU Defeats Iowa to Win Their First NCAA Championship
LSU Women’s Basketball beat Iowa 102-85 to win their first-ever NCAA Women's Basketball Championship, scoring the most points ever in a women's championship game.
After taking over a devastated 9-13 LSU squad, coach Kim Mulkey led the Tigers to a 34-2 record and her fourth national title in only two years. She has previously led Baylor to triumphs in 2005, 2012, and 2019.
The Tigers were able to thwart the valiant comeback attempt by the Hawkeyes to win the title thanks to a 17-point halftime lead and clutch outside shooting by the Tigers.
With a team scoring rate of almost 100%, LaDazhia Williams led LSU with 20 points, followed by Flau'jae Johnson with 10, Angel Reese with 15 points and 10 rebounds for her 34th double-double, Alexis Morris with 21 points, and Jasmine Carson with 22 points.
The Iowa Hawkeyes suffered a defeat in the middle of the third quarter after Caitlin Clark, Monika Czinano, and McKenna Warnock all had early calls and picked up fouls. Sheryl Swoopes' previous record of 177+ points in a single tournament was broken by Clark, who ended the game with 30 points and eight assists.
Caitlin Clark of Iowa State, a major player for the Hawkeyes, broke Sheryl Swoopes' NCAA women's tournament scoring record with a 3-point field goal with 7:56 left in the third quarter.
Clark set a tournament record with 24 3-pointers in her first six games, giving her a total of 178 points.
Clark had scored 40 points or more in her last two outings when the tournament began on Sunday.