It’s down to two teams in the women’s college basketball season. The LSU Lady Tigers and the Iowa Hawkeyes will face off on Sunday, April 3, at 3:30 PM ET for the national title at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas¹. Both teams have been impressive throughout the tournament, but only one will hoist the trophy. Here’s what you need to know about each team and their opponent.
LSU Lady Tigers
The Lady Tigers are making their first appearance in the national championship game, thanks to the coaching of Kim Mulkey, who won three titles at Baylor before taking over at LSU in 2021². Mulkey has transformed LSU into a powerhouse in just two seasons, leading them to a 33-2 record and a No. 3 seed in the tournament.
LSU’s strength lies in its dynamic duo of Alexis Morris and Angel Reese, who combined for 51 points and 15 rebounds in their semifinal win over Virginia Tech². Morris is a senior guard who can score from anywhere on the court, averaging 14.9 points and 4.1 assists per game³. Reese is a sophomore forward who dominates the paint with her size and athleticism, averaging 23.2 points and 15.7 rebounds per game³.
The Lady Tigers are also a tough defensive team, holding opponents to 57.2 points per game on 36.4% shooting³. They have a +860 scoring differential for the season, outscoring opponents by 24.5 points per game⁴. They will need to maintain their intensity and focus against a high-scoring Iowa team that can challenge them on both ends of the floor.
Iowa Hawkeyes
The Hawkeyes are led by Caitlin Clark, the best player in women’s college basketball. Clark is a junior guard who has won three player of the year awards this season, averaging 27.3 points, 8.6 assists and 7.3 rebounds per game³. She scored 41 points in their semifinal win over South Carolina, hitting 15 of 31 shots and five three-pointers⁵.
Clark is not alone, though. She has a reliable partner in Monika Czinano, a senior forward who averages 17.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game³. Czinano is an efficient scorer who shoots 67.8% from the field, the best mark in the nation³. She also provides a strong presence inside for Iowa, which ranks first in the country in scoring with 87.3 points per game⁴.
The Hawkeyes have a +606 scoring differential for the season, outscoring opponents by 16.4 points per game⁴. They have been on fire in their last 10 games, averaging 85 points per game⁴. They will need to keep up their offensive pace and find ways to slow down LSU’s Morris and Reese.
Prediction
This game promises to be an exciting showdown between two elite teams with contrasting styles. LSU relies on its defense and its star duo, while Iowa relies on its offense and its superstar leader. Both teams have proven themselves against tough competition and have shown resilience and determination.
The outcome may come down to which team can impose its will on the other and which team can make more clutch plays down the stretch. In this case, we give a slight edge to Iowa, because of Clark’s ability to take over games and Czinano’s efficiency inside. We predict a close 76-73 victory for Iowa⁶, who will win their first national championship in women’s basketball.
Source:
(1)https://bing.com/search?q=LSU+Iowa+women%27s+basketball+NCAA+championship+game Accessed 1/4/2023.
(2) LSU women’s basketball vs. Iowa: Score prediction, scouting report for NCAA championship game. https://news.yahoo.com/lsu-womens-basketball-vs-iowa-152710402.html Accessed 1/4/2023.
(3) Iowa vs. LSU in NCAA women’s basketball title game: Schedule, time, streaming, TV info for Sunday. https://news.yahoo.com/iowa-vs-lsu-ncaa-womens-142331249.html Accessed 1/4/2023.
(4) Iowa vs. LSU Women’s Basketball Predictions & Picks – NCAA Tournament National Championship. https://www.kwqc.com/sports/betting/2023/04/02/iowa-lsu-womens-college-basketball-picks-predictions-ncaa-tournament-national-championship-2/ Accessed 1/4/2023.
(5) Iowa vs. LSU Women’s National Championship: Game Time and TV Channel. https://lsutigerswire.usatoday.com/article/iowa-vs-lsu-womens-national-championship-game-time-tv-channel-and-more/ Accessed 1/4/2023.
(6) Iowa vs. LSU in NCAA women’s title game: Time, TV info, schedule. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2023/04/01/iowa-vs-lsu-ncaa-womens-title-game-time-tv-info-schedule/11579097002/ Accessed 1/4/2023.
