Last season, Angel Reese boasted right in Caitlin Clark’s face as LSU put the finishing touches on Iowa to win the 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament.
But this time around, it was the Hawkeyes who earned the last laugh.
Iowa earned a trip to the Final Four with a 94-87 win over the defending champions Monday night. Clark was the star of the show in Albany, scoring a game-high 41 points to keep her final collegiate season alive.
ESPN cameras captured a brief exchange between Clark and Reese as the Hawkeyes and the Tigers shook hands after the game. Speaking with the media following LSU’s season-ending loss, Reese shed light on the back-and-forth.
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“She just told me, ‘Continue to be a great player’ and I told her, ‘Continue to be a great player as well’ and ‘Keep elevating the game and go win it,'” Reese told reporters, per a video shared by the Des Moine Register’s Tyler Tachman. “
Clark now is two wins away from ending her historic campaign with a national title. The Hawkeyes will try to earn the first of those victories Friday night when they meet Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies.
Tipoff for the highly anticipated Final Four matchup is slated for 9 p.m. in Cleveland.
Featured image via Gregory Fisher/USA TODAY Sports Images
