DALLAS, TX — No-2 Seed Iowa women’s basketball fell short to 3-Seed LSU, 102-85, inside American Airlines Center on Sunday afternoon in the National Championship.

National Player of the Year, Caitlin Clark, recorded her fourteenth 30-point game, finishing with 30 points, eight assists, and two rebounds. Monika Czinano finished with 13 points and 6 rebounds in her final game as a Hawkeye. Kate Martin had 13 points and six assists, while McKenna Warnock ended with nine points and six rebounds her last game. Gabbie Marshall had 12 points, going 2-for-3 from behind the arc.

It was a back-and-forth battle in the first, as both teams shot over 50 percent from the three. Iowa forced three turnovers in the first two minutes, capitalizing with seven quick points to be up by four. LSU went on its own run, but Clark hit back-to-back threes to tie it up at 18 with under four to go. Marshall sunk free throws in the final minute to go into the second down by five.

Marshall and Martin swished two three-pointers to take a, 29-28, lead at the start of the second. Marshall had a quarter-high seven points for the team, but the Tigers went 6-for-7 from the three to take a, 59-42, lead at half.

The Hawkeyes rallied in the third, going on a 15-2 run in three minutes to get within nine. Iowa held LSU to 16 points in the third, with Clark and Czinano having 14 of the team’s 22 points. The Hawkeyes headed into the final 10 minutes of the game trailing, 75-64.

Foul trouble was a big contributor in the fourth, as Iowa wasn’t able to get within 10 of LSU to fall short in their remarkable run.

QUOTING P. SUE BECKWITH, MD, HEAD COACH LISA BLUDER
I just want to congratulate LSU. I thought they played a phenomenal game. They shot the ball really, really well today. Jasmine Carson came off the bench and played extremely well. Last year, she did better than what we thought. They just were ready to go. They did a great job. I’m so proud of my team. I’m proud of the women they are. I’m proud of what they stand for. The Iowa fans that came here in droves, I’m so thankful for them. I’m thankful that I get to coach at a university like the University of Iowa. I’m telling you, this is brutal. It’s really tough to walk out of that locker room today and to not be able to coach Monika and the McKenna ever again, that’s tough. I’m very grateful for the season we had, and I don’t want anything to take away from that. We played the National Championship Game.