Caitlin Clark, Iowa Fall To Unbeaten South Carolina In NCAA ...

CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 7: Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes drives to the basket against Raven ... [+] Johnson #25 of the South Carolina Gamecocks during the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament National Championship at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on April 7, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Justin Tafoya/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

Caitlin Clark’s brilliant college career has come to a close, and it ends without an NCAA championship.

The biggest star in basketball scored 30 points with 8 rebounds and 5 assists in her final collegiate game before checking out 20.2 seconds remaining, but it was not enough as the Hawkeyes fell to undefeated South Carolina, 87-75, in the national championship game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.

It marked the second straight year that Clark — the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer and projected No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft — and the Hawkeyes (34-5) lost in the final game of the season. A year ago, Iowa lost badly to Angel Reese and LSU, 102-85, in the championship game. The Hawkeyes still have never won the national championship.

South Carolina completed a perfect 38-0 season and won their third title under head coach Dawn Staley since 2017. The Gamecocks are the first undefeated national champion since UConn in 2016.

“They made history, they etched their names in the history books,” Staley said on ABC.

South Carolina earned some revenge for last year’s Final Four loss to Iowa in which Clark went for 41 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds.

This time around, four Gamecocks scored in double-figures, led by Tessa Johnson with 19 while Kamilla Cardoso, the team’s 6-foot-7 center, went for 15 points, 17 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Cardoso hit a huge put-back layup to put South Carolina up 83-75.

South Carolina outscored Iowa from the bench, 37-0.

Clark scored 18 points in the first quarter as Iowa took a 27-20 lead.

Staley pushed the right buttons by going to her bench and relying on Johnson and Fulwiley.

Clark cooled off in the second quarter as South Carolina seized a 49-46 halftime lead.

South Carolina used an 8-0 run to ahead 65-55 toward the end of the third quarter.

Johnson gave the Gamecocks a 68-57 lead with a 3-pointer near the end of the third.

A layup by Cardoso pushed the South Carolina lead to 74-61 early in the fourth.

Back-to-back 3’s by Clark and Gabbie Marshall trimmed it to 76-70.

Iowa drew within 80-75 on a conventional 3-point play by Sydney Affolter.

“I’m so incredibly happy for my players,” Staley said. “I’m super proud of our fans, it’s awesome, it’s awesome, it’s unbelievable.”

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