Jim Trotter, writing in the Athletic, sees the Iowa-South Carolina matchup for the NCAA women's basketball title on Sunday as the one everyone wanted, compelling for multiple reasons. "Great player versus great team. The quest for the perfect ending versus the pursuit of the perfect season," he says. "An opportunity for South Carolina to avenge its only loss of the last two seasons. A way to cap a memorable season with a potentially unforgettable finale." The great player is Caitlin Clark, of course, the Iowa guard who's the all-time leading scorer in NCAA basketball. Her presence alone would be enough to draw fans, Trotter writes, adding that with the game—Clark's last before going pro—on network television, the potential ratings are mind-boggling.
Looking to Sunday's game, Clark said she's seen the excitement build. "It feels like every time we're going into a game in this NCAA Tournament, it's like everybody wants to see this, just one after the next," she said. "I think it's good for women's basketball." There are other subplots, which Trotter addresses here. To reach the final, South Carolina beat NC State 78-59 on Friday and is now 38-0 this season. Iowa edged UConn 71-69, per ESPN, in a game that ended with a disputed call. The final is scheduled for 2pm ET.
- USA Today analyzes the offensive foul call against UConn's Aaliyah Edwards, made with less than 4 seconds left, here.
- CBS Sports has reaction to the whistle from big names in sports here. LeBron James didn't like it.
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