Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes narrowly avoided a stunning upset against the West Virginia Mountaineers in the Round of 32 on Monday, but the game itself did not come without plenty of controversy.
The top-seeded Hawkeyes appeared to be in trouble after a sluggish start, putting up only 26 points in the first half. But Caitlin Clark once again carried the team on her back when they needed her most, as Iowa outscored West Virginia 38-30 in the second half to barely hang on for a 64-54 victory.
But the game itself was overshadowed by multiple officiating controversies that have led to accusations that the NCAA “rigged” the game for Clark and company. Per ESPN, the Mountaineers were called for a whopping 27 fouls, while the Hawkeyes were only issued 11 of their own.
Fans and pundits took to X/Twitter to express their outrage over the suspect officiating in the Iowa-West Virginia showdown. Even Milwaukee Bucks superstar Damian Lillard decided to comment on the controversy:
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Caitlin Clark finished with a game-high 32 points, also notching eight rebounds and three assists. She made 11-of-12 free throw attempts and made 5-of-14 three-point shots. The Hawkeyes will meet the No. 5 ranked Colorado Buffaloes in the Sweet Sixteen this Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EST.
Caitlin Clark’s Historic NCAA Career Is Almost Over
The last thing missing on Caitlin Clark’s NCAA resume is none other than the NCAA national championship. The Hawkeyes advanced to the big game last year, but they fell to the Angel Reese-led LSU Tigers by a final score of 102-85.
Caitlin Clark is the front-runner to go first overall in the 2024 WBNA Draft that will be held on Apr. 15. The Indiana Fever are the lucky owners of the top selection and are expected to use that pick on Clark.
We’ll find out in the coming weeks if Clark can cap off her legendary NCAA career with a national championship.
