Iowa and UConn clashed in an unforgettable Final Four showdown on Friday in Cleveland, culminating in a nail-biting 71-69 victory for the Hawkeyes, propelling them to their second consecutive national championship appearance. However, a controversial call just before the final buzzer rivaled the outcome in significance.
Trailing by one with nine seconds remaining, UConn possessed the ball with an opportunity to send Caitlin Clark and her teammates packing. The ball found its way to Nika Muhl, aiming to pass to Paige Bueckers with Aaliyah Edwards setting a screen to create space for Bueckers on the perimeter.
Nonetheless, Edwards was penalized for an illegal screen on Gabbie Marshall, who appeared to stagger upon contact, possibly contributing to the call. Iowa then sent Clark to the free throw line, where she sunk the first shot but missed the second, only for Sydney Affolter to secure the offensive rebound, effectively sealing the game.
What did Angel Reese say about the call?
Following the game, when asked about the pivotal call, Bueckers-who had an unusually subdued performance with 17 points, four rebounds, and three assists-chose to take the high road by minimizing its impact. “Everyone can focus on that one play, but a single play doesn’t determine the outcome of a basketball game,” Bueckers remarked.
wait was that screen not set clean?
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) April 6, 2024
“You can scrutinize one play and say, ‘That cost us’ or ‘that hurt us,’ but we should have done a better job- I should have done a better job- of ensuring we didn’t leave the game to chance like that, relying on one unfavorable call to decide it.
“Yes, maybe that call was tough for us, but I believe I could have prevented it from happening altogether.” The relationship between Angel Reese and Clark has been extensively covered, but the LSU standout insists they “don’t hate each other.” Reese has been in the news recently after her own team, LSU, were eliminated from the tournament by Iowa, yet Reese still watched the game involving Caitlin Clark unfold. “Wait, was that screen not set cleanly?” Reese posted on Twitter.
