NFL
By: Nick Andre
The perfect story would be Iowa winning a National Championship. It would end the historic college career of Caitlin Clark the right way as she would walk off the floor holding a championship trophy. However, not all stories are nonfiction.
It’s no question that the Iowa Hawkeyes are motivated to win a National Championship. The trophy was in the palm of their hands a year ago. The Hawkeyes knocked out the undefeated South Carolina in the Final Four before ultimately getting dominated by LSU in the championship game. Iowa head coach Lisa Blunder has allowed her team to be aware of what took place last season. With that being said, they approached this season with a chip on their shoulder and carried it through the entire regular season.
Caitlin Clark has been the star amongst stars. She has elevated her image as one of the popular figures in basketball and she’s played a huge role in the growth of women’s basketball. During the season, Clark has delivered everything from triple-doubles to game-winners, as well as breaking scoring records. She’s ending her college career on a high note with a historic senior season.
While Clark has shined, the biggest concern from analysts regarding Iowa is will their supporting cast step up. Truth be told, they’ve done that. The other players have been a great compliment to Clark and have allowed her to shine while leading the way. Players like Kate Martin, Hannah Stuelke, Gabbie Marshall, and others have contributed at a high level for Iowa.
In the NCAA Tournament, the Hawkeyes landed the first seed in the Albany Region 2. They earned the top seed after a great showing in the Big 10 Tournament, defeating Nebraska in the Championship game. Yes, they are the favorites to win. How can you blame them? However, this is March Madness and anything is possible. Aside from Iowa, several programs are fit to come out of the region with a chance to make a deep run in the Tournament.
Aside from Iowa, there’s the reigning champion LSU Tigers who defeated the Hawkeyes last season in the National Championship. The Tigers continue to ride the ship of Angel Reese, who continues to impose her will inside with her scoring and rebounding. Reese also has a terrific supporting cast that includes Flau’jae Johnson, Aneesah Morrow, Hailey Van Lith, Mikaylah Williams, and others.
There’s also the UCLA Bruins who are hungry for a National Championship. They’ve been battle-tested in the PAC-12 and oftentimes succeeded in conference play. Aside from the likes of Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice, the Bruins also have a terrific supporting cast who can be a difference-maker in the contest. Londynn Jones and Charisma Osborne are two elite guards who can set the tone for the team. There’s also Gabriela Jaquez, Angela Dugalic, and others can also be contributing factors in the Bruins’ possible championship run.
Other contenders in Albany Region 2 include Colorado, West Virginia, Louisville, Creighton, Kansas State, and others. It’s safe to say that the region is fully open with an opportunity for any team to come out on top.
Can Iowa win the region? Absolutely! Can they still be favorites to win a National Championship? Absolutely as well. With the greatness of Caitlin Clark, anything is possible. However, she’ll need her teammates to contribute at a higher level more than ever before if Iowa looks to redeem themselves from falling short last season.
