Iowa women set to face tenacious, tough defense in West Virginia
By Pat Harty
IOWA CITY, Iowa – Just the fact that Monday’s game against West Virginia will be Caitlin Clark’s final appearance on her beloved home court is interesting enough.
But with her teammates and multi-year starters Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall also playing in their final game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Monday, and with the quality and style of the opponent, this NCAA Tournament second-round game is a must-see event, and a fascinating matchup.
Every game that Clark plays in is a must-see event, but Monday’s game is extra special because it could be her last as a Hawkeye, or it could be the latest triumphant chapter in her storybook career.
West Virginia (25-7) could pose quite a challenge, especially on defense where it excels with its athleticism and toughness.
But that’s what the NCAA Tournament is all about, though, overcoming challenges.
“I think a team that definitely hangs it hat on defense,” Clark said Sunday when asked what she sees in West Virginia. “I think that’s going to be a huge thing for us is we’ve got to find a way to take care of the ball.”
Clark and the Hawkeyes advanced all the way to the NCAA title game last season, losing to Louisiana State 102-85 in Dallas.
Iowa’s journey to the 2023 national title game put Clark on the national radar, and her life hasn’t been the same since.
She has become a sports phenomenon and a cultural icon, one of the greatest Hawkeye legends of all time, right up there with Nile Kinnick.
But it could all be over on Monday and that’s a sobering thought.
West Virginia’s success revolves around its unwavering commitment to playing defense with a purpose, and that purpose is to frustrate, disrupt and overwhelm the opponent.
Clark will be at the center of their competitive rage on Monday.
“We’ve just got to play defense, play our defense,” said West Virginia guard J.J. Quinerly.
Asked to describe what it means to play West Virginia’s defense, Quinerly said:
“Effort. Tenacity. Just wanting it more than anybody else on the court.”
West Virginia leads the nation in turnover margin (+8.8) and is third in turnovers forced (23.9) and steals (14.0). West Virginia is also second in scoring defense (57.8) and scoring margin (16.9) in the Big 12.
“They force 24 turnovers a game throughout the Big 12. That’s pretty amazing,” said Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder. “And they’re so fast going down hill. On the offensive end, they’re very, very quick.”
Iowa, on the other hand, is a force on offense, averaging at least 80 points per game in four consecutive seasons.
Since the start of the 2020-21 season, Iowa (30-4) leads the nation with 105 games of 80-plus points. Iowa also leads the country with 60 games of 90-plus points offensively.
Every team acknowledges the importance of playing defense, but the West Virginia players seem to really enjoy that end of the floor.
They get energized from playing defense.
“I think we all collectively love getting out and getting steals and getting them easy fast-break points,” Quinerly said. “We love defense. It speaks to it, our identity we’ve had throughout the season. The defense is going to carry us through this game.”
So, on one side is arguably the greatest offensive weapon in the history of women’s collegiate basketball in the 6-foot Clark, while on the other side is one of the top defensive teams in the country.
That makes for an intriguing matchup with so much on the line.
Clark is unstoppable at times on offense with her now-famous logo threes, her no-look passes and with size and length for a guard.
But she also plays with lots of emotion, and sometimes too much emotion as was the case in Friday’s 91-65 victory over Holy Cross in the first round.
Clark also has a tendency to commit turnovers due from being so aggressive with the ball, and from throwing difficult passes.
Quinerly was asked Sunday if part of the defensive strategy would be to try to rattle Clark, to get under skin.
Quinerly just chuckled.
The West Virginia players have a chance to shock the college basketball world and they know that the eyes of the nation will be focused on their game because of Clark’s amazing popularity.
They also know that Carver-Hawkeye Arena will be packed on Monday, and that Clark feeds off the home crowd.
“This is something you dream about since you were a kid,” Quinerly said.