No. 1 Iowa and No. 3 LSU meet in a rematch of last year’s NCAA Women’s Tournament national championship game.
This time, the Hawkeyes and Tigers meet on the Elite Eight stage at Regional 2 in Albany, N.Y., on Monday. Tip-off time is to be determined.
No. 1 Iowa (32-4) advanced to the Elite Eight with an 89-68 victory against No. 5 Colorado on Saturday. Caitlin Clark had 29 points and 15 assists in a remarkable performance, and coach Lisa Bluder has a chance to guide Iowa to a second straight Women’s Final Four appearance.
No. 3 LSU (31-5) beat No. 2 UCLA 79-69 to advance to the Elite Eight. The Tigers continue to silence the critics under coach Kim Mulkey, and forward Angel Reese is coming off a 16-point, 11-rebound performance.
MORE: Kim Mulkey labels LA Times story ‘sexist’
This year’s Women’s Final Four is April 5-7 at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. Who will win the rematch?
Here’s everything to know about betting on LSU vs. Iowa in the Elite Eight, including updated odds, trends and our prediction for the Final Four game.
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Iowa vs. LSU odds (courtesy of BetMGM):
- Spread: N/A
- Over/under: N/A
- Moneyline: N/A
Who won last year’s LSU-Iowa national title game?
LSU led Iowa 59-42 at halftime and maintained that lead in a 102-85 victory in last year’s national championship game that is best remembered for Reese’s ring celebration in front of Clark in the final moments. By now you’ve seen it a few times:
LSU vs. IOWA REMATCH 🍿
Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese on MONDAY 😤pic.twitter.com/fD3xsHXmqr
— FanDuel (@FanDuel) March 30, 2024
Reese had 15 points and 10 rebounds in that victory, but it was the senior trio of Jasmine Carson (22 points) Alexis Morris (21 points), LaDazhia Williams (20 points) that led the scoring against the Hawkeyes.
Clark scored 30 points on 9 of 22 shooting from the floor in the loss – including an 8 of 19 performance from three-point range. She had eight assists. Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall scored 13 and 12 points, respectively, in the loss.
Caitlin Clark’s NCAA Tournament stats
Clark is scoring 29.3 points with 9.3 assists in the tournament, and she had her best game against the Buffaloes. She’s 11 of 34 from 3-point range in the tournament, and she will continue to be a high-volume shooter against the Tigers.
MORE: Sporting News names Caitlin Clark Player of the Year
Iowa’s key players against LSU
Iowa does not have a deep rotation. The starting five has provided scoring throughout the tournament. Martin (12.8 ppg.) is an excellent back-court support for Clark, and Marshall (12.8 ppg.) and Sydney Afolter (7.9 ppg.) scored double figures against the Buffaloes. The key is forward Hannah Stuelke (14.1 ppg.), a 6-2 forward who had two points in 14 minutes against the Tigers off the bench last season.
Angel Reese in the NCAA tournament
Book a double-double with Reese. She is averaging 15.3 points and 13.7 rebounds in the NCAA Tournament. She’s also 21 of 30 from the free-throw line in those last three games. Reese fouled out in the Sweet 16 victory against UCLA, but that was while being matchup up against 6-foot-7 center Lauren Betts.
LSU’s key players against Iowa
LSU also does not have a deep rotation, but the starting five is loaded. Aneesah Morrow (16.5 ppg.) is another 6-foot-1 forward in tbe high-low game with Reese, and freshman guard Mikaylah Williams (14.5 ppg.) is another trusted scorer. The backcourt of Falu’jae Johnson (14.4 ppg.) and Louisville transfer Hailey Van Lith (11.8 ppg.) is the X-factor in this game. Will those guards off-set Clark’s dynamic scoring?
Iowa vs. LSU prediction
Last year told us the Tigers will not be afraid to get out and run in this game, but at heart LSU wants to win this game in the paint. LSU has a 13.1 rebounding margin – which is second in the country – and Reese and Williams will test Stuelke, who cannot get in early foul trouble. Sophomore Addison O’Grady – a 6-foot-4 post – would be the next available option.
Reese can impact a game on both sides – she averages three steals and 1.3 blocks per game. The Tigers don’t rely on the 3-pointer – but they are shooting 40.6% from that range in the tournament. Johnson and Van Lith can make perimeter shots in the clutch, and that is going to be yet another challenge for the Hawkeyes.
Iowa’s four–guard rotation will create driving lanes, and Martin, Afolter and Marshall are going to have to cash in those opportunities.
Ultimately, though, this is the game we’ve all been waiting to see with Clark. Rewind to last year’s championship game. She shot 19 three-pointers in that game. Clark had one game with more than 19 attempts from 3-point range this year – a 40-point performance against Michigan State on Jan. 2. Clark will be a high-volume shooter, but she needs to blend the combination of shot selection and passing that was on display in the Sweet 16. When Iowa has the entire offense rolling around Clark’s passing, they are almost impossible to stop on the defensive end.
This will be an enjoyable show. Both teams have had close calls in the tournament, and the individual matchups will be fun to watch. While the focus is on Clark and Reese, we know they’re going to show out. Which role players make the difference? It might be Johnson for LSU or Martin for Iowa that knocks down the game-changing shot.
Final score: Iowa 84, LSU 82
