ALBANY, N.Y. – The spotlight that shines on Iowa’s Caitlin Clark may not be quite as bright as the one that shined on the Coach Prime-led Colorado football team last season, but it’s close.
While the CU women’s basketball team has been able to enjoy some of the glow of the Prime spotlight, they are sharing that stage with Clark – to some extent – this week.
Of course, by sharing the spotlight, that means the Buffs are viewed by many as the next hurdle in Clark’s historic college basketball career.
On Saturday, the fifth-seeded Buffaloes will face top-seeded Iowa in the Sweet 16 at MVP Arena.
Many of the questions asked of the Buffs have been similar: How do you stop Clark, the biggest star in the game and the all-time leading scorer in college basketball history? And, how will the Buffs handle an atmosphere that, while technically a neutral court, will likely be heavily weighted with Hawkeye (or Clark) fans?
Clark, a top candidate for national player of the year honors, leads the country in scoring (31.8 points per game) and assists (8.8). She also takes and makes more 3-pointers than anyone in the country, many of them from Steph Curry range.
Stopping Clark isn’t likely. She has scored at least 21 points in her last 45 games, dating back to last season. Doing enough to beat Iowa, however, is possible.
“(Clark) is a tremendous player,” CU head coach JR Payne said. “She’s the leading scorer in the history of our game for a reason. There’s nothing that anyone could do or say to take that away. We do feel like in the Pac-12 Conference we’re very fortunate that we’ve played against a lot of really good teams – collectively great teams, individually great talent, whether that’s in the post or on the perimeter.
“We said this going into the (Kansas State game last Sunday), we felt very prepared to play K-State because we are built for it. We have seen great players and great teams all season long. And it kind of feels the same going against Iowa. We’ve played against great teams, we’ve played against great players. The game plan might look different but we do feel prepared for sure.”
Perhaps West Virginia gave the Buffs a blueprint. The Mountaineers gave Iowa all it could handle in Monday’s second-round before losing 64-54. The game was tied late before Iowa pulled away at the free throw line.
“I definitely watched that game and saw how (West Virginia) frustrated them on defense,” CU’s Frida Formann said. “I think we’re a really good defensive team. And we’re not the same as West Virginia, but I think you could see in the K-State game that just our defense can win games. That’s the mentality we’re going in with, and hopefully we’ll be able to control the physical aspect. We don’t want to get in foul trouble, but obviously with a good player like Caitlin Clark you have to be some sort of physical with her, but just trying to be smart about it.”
Iowa’s Caitlin Clark (22) is seen during a morning practice session at a college basketball NCAA Tournament in Albany, N.Y. Friday, March 29, 2024. Iowa plays Colorado in a Sweet 16 game on Saturday. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink)
Foul trouble was costly in CU’s Sweet 16 loss to Iowa a year ago in Seattle. CU was within four points with 80 seconds to play, but couldn’t overcome having three starters – Formann, Jaylyn Sherrod and Aaronette Vonleh – foul out.
How Saturday’s game is officiated – and how CU handles the whistles – could be crucial to CU’s chances.
“We have to just adjust to what’s being called,” Payne said. “In the first few minutes of the game, you should get a feel for how tight it’s going to be called and we have to just be prepared to adjust.
“For us all week, we’ve been talking about basic fundamentals: defensive fundamentals, offensive execution. So for us, I mean, it’s a huge game, obviously, but it is just another basketball game. It’s a big one, but as far as game planning and strategy and things like that, it’s not really any different than any other game.”
The atmosphere might be, but that, too, is something the Buffs feel prepared to handle. They’ve handled tough environments before, perhaps none tougher than Sunday in Manhattan, Kan., when they beat K-State 63-50 in front of 10,692 fans mostly cheering against them.
“We definitely are anticipating that type of crowd,” Payne said. “It felt like that in Seattle last year, and that was the other side of the country. So yeah, we’re expecting that. It’s a great atmosphere always when you’re going to play in an environment like that, very similar to Kansas State last weekend, very similar to most Pac-12 road games this year, where attendance was through the roof and playing really great crowds in really hostile environments. I don’t think it’ll really be any different, and it’s something that we have enough experience with and we’re excited about.”
Colorado senior Jaylyn Sherrod during a press conference on March 29, 2024, at MVP Arena in Albany, N.Y., before a Sweet 16 matchup with Iowa. (CU Athletics)
(5) CU Buffs women’s basketball vs. (1) Iowa Hawkeyes
TIPOFF: Saturday, 1:30 p.m. MT, MVP Arena, Albany, N.Y.
TV/RADIO: ABC/630 AM
RECORDS: Colorado 24-9; Iowa 31-4
COACHES: Colorado — JR Payne, 8th season (142-102; 243-215 career). Iowa — Lisa Bluder, 24th season (525-253; 882-394 career).
KEY PLAYERS: Colorado — G Frida Formann, 5-11, Sr. (12.5 ppg, 2.1 apg, .446 FG%, .422 3PT%, .913 FT%); C Quay Miller, 6-3, Sr. (9.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg, .330 3PT%); G Maddie Nolan, 5-11, Sr. (6.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, .435 3PT%); G Jaylyn Sherrod, 5-7, Sr. (12.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 4.9 apg, 2.2 spg, .445 FG%); C Aaronette Vonleh, 6-3, Jr. (14.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg, .546 FG%); G Kindyll Wetta, 5-9, Jr. (5.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.9 apg, 1.7 spg, .490 FG%). Iowa — G Sydney Affolter, 5-11, Jr. (7.9 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 2.3 apg, .546 FG%, .392 3PT%, .846 FT%); G Caitlin Clark, 6-0, Sr. (31.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 8.8 apg, 1.8 spg, .456 FG%, .379 3PT%, .862 FT%); G Molly Davis, 5-7, Sr. (6.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 3.1 apg, .539 FG%, .407 3PT%, .857 FT%); G Gabbie Marshall, 5-9, Sr. (5.9 ppg, .348 3PT%); G Kate Martin, 6-0, Sr. (12.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 2.5 apg, .516 FG%, .380 3PT%, .857 FT%); F Hannah Stuelke, 6-2, So. (14.1 ppg, 6.7 rpg, .635 FG%).
NOTES: The winner will play Monday in the Elite Eight at MVP Arena against the winner of Saturday’s game between LSU and UCLA. … CU is in the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row and for the eighth time in program history. The Buffs are 3-4 in Sweet 16 games, last winning in 2002. … This is Iowa’s 10th all-time appearance in the Sweet 16. They beat CU in this round last year and went to the national title game. The Hawkeyes are 5-4 in Sweet 16 games. … CU is 3-4 all-time against Iowa. … CU closed the season at No. 17 in the Associated Press rankings, while Iowa was at No. 2. … Iowa leads the country in scoring (92.0 points per game), assists (21.4 per game) and made 3-pointers (11.1 per game) and ranks third in field goal percentage (49.9). They are also 306th scoring defense (71.2) and 145th in field goal percentage defense (39.7). … The Buffs are 30th in scoring offense (75.4) and 23rd in field goal percentage (46.0). On defense, CU is 162nd in points allowed (63.5 per game) and 188th in field goal percentage allowed (40.5). … Davis, a 27-game starter, is “doubtful” to play vs. CU, Bluder said. Davis injured her knee and the Hawkeyes’ regular season finale.