Will LSU or Iowa get title game rematch?

ALBANY, N.Y. — When the 2024 females’s NCAA match bracket came out two weeks ago, all eyes went to Space 2 in Albany and the most likely Elite Eight showdown between the groups that met for the national championship perfect season.

On Monday (7:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App), that blockbuster arrives, as No. 1 seed Iowa faces third-seeded LSU for a day out to the females’s Final Four in Cleveland. The seeds express one factor, however history says one more: LSU received the national championship game 102-85 perfect April and dart is perceived by many because the favorite on this rematch.

The Hawkeyes bear Caitlin Clarkthe national player of the year perfect season who’s expected to orderly up these honors this year, too. As a senior, she became the all-time main scorer in Division I males’s or females’s basketball — she’s within the meantime at 3,859 formula — and drew sellout crowds not loyal to Carver-Hawkeye Enviornment however the least bit however two usual-season avenue games.

Clark is surrounded mostly by other sharpshooting guards, in conjunction with Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshallher teammates the past four years. Iowa leads Division I in scoring, and if the Hawkeyes get hot from gradual the 3-level line, they’re laborious to give up.

But LSU leads Division I in attending to the wicked line and is the tip main convention group in rebounding, too. The Tigers feature double-double risk Angel Reeseperfect year’s most prominent player on the Final Four, along with proficient guards equivalent to Aneesah Morrow, Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams.

The 2023 NCAA perfect drew nearly 10 million viewers — making it basically the most watched females’s basketball game in television history — on April 2 perfect year. On April 1, 2024, the Tigers and Hawkeyes will meet all over again. What might per chance perhaps per chance restful we request? Which group will plan? ESPN’s Andrea Adelson, Katie Barnes and Michael Voepel stare at this excessive-voltage matchup.

Reese and Clark are two of the largest stars in college basketball. Will Clark’s perimeter game or Reese’s paint game determine the winner?

Barnes: Perchance basically the most savory piece of this game is that Reese and Clark play assorted positions, which opens the risk for them each and every to dominate. But on this occasion, with the lineups the methodology they’re, Reese will bear the very best note, despite the indisputable truth that Clark will get hers to make particular.

Hannah Stuelke will seemingly get the call to present protection to Reese, however she presents up dimension. Stuelke is 6-foot-2 and Reese is 6-3. An plod is never forever in actuality a expansive incompatibility, however Reese repeatedly has to play bigger than she is with mighty less room to maneuver (stare no extra than her matchups with UCLA’s Lauren Betts and South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso).

In opposition to the Hawkeyes, Reese has the dimension profit, so she’s going to plod to work. Anticipate her to get her twenty seventh double-double on the season — as lengthy as she stays out of wicked distress — and bear a dominant efficiency inside of.

Adelson: Except Iowa does one thing tremendously differently than perfect season, Reese and her put up game bear the profit here. LSU’s physicality on defense in actuality stifled Iowa perfect year, and despite the indisputable truth that Clark scored 30 formula in their matchup, she went 9-of-22 and acknowledged she wished she had attacked the rim more. Given the discourse about Reese and Clark that has dominated females’s basketball over the route of the past year, one thing tells me Reese is going to play with far more physicality — and might per chance perhaps per chance well restful stare to get her teammates inviting to get the get, too. The Tigers simply are not going to let Clark beat them.

Voopel: Logically, every thing formula to LSU’s energy inside of — in particular with Reese — being too mighty for Iowa to sluggish down. Stuelke can bear to play one of many correct games of her existence, and Iowa will want a gargantuan-body reserve take care of Addison O’Grady to get some quality minutes on defense, too.

The factor is, despite the indisputable truth that Clark outscores her — which she did in perfect year’s championship game, as Reese had 15 formula — Reese’s supporting solid might per chance perhaps per chance perhaps restrict the comfort of the Hawkeyes ample for LSU to get.

Who else might per chance perhaps per chance perhaps step up for the Hawkeyes and Tigers and impression Monday’s consequence?

Voopel: Flau’jae Johnson has been a celebrity for the Tigers on this match, taking pictures 60% from the discipline in their three games and stepping forward within the gargantuan moments. Johnson has been real all season however appears to bear saved her absolute best for the postseason. She does plenty on the defensive conclude, too, to sustain company with her explosiveness on offense.

Johnson had 10 formula, 7 rebounds and 4 assists as a freshman in perfect season’s national championship game. She has grown as a player since: She’s a bigger passer and is more versatile on defense. Or not it is the form of enchancment you request from sophomores, however Johnson became so proficient in her first season, how neatly she is taking part in now in actuality stands out. She additionally has the gallop and self assurance LSU prospers on.

Gabbie Marshall has been Iowa’s high defensive guard the past few seasons, however she additionally regarded more assured in her 3-level shot Saturday in opposition to Colorado, making 4 of 5 from lengthy vary.

Clark is one of many correct 3-level shooters in college history; she is six away from tying Oklahoma’s Taylor Robertson — who had 537 in five seasons — for various in Division I history. But her accuracy has been somewhat off in each and every the Indispensable Ten and NCAA tournaments, which might per chance perhaps per chance perhaps mean Clark will are trying and pressure to the rim more in opposition to LSU — one thing she did neatly in opposition to Colorado on Saturday.

Final year, the Tigers made that very laborious for Clark to achieve. But when one more Hawkeye take care of Marshall is hitting 3s, this can help open things up more for Clark to assault in assorted methods.

Adelson: Endure in mind, perfect year Reese got into early wicked distress and it became Jasmine Carson off the bench who ignited the Tigers with a bunch-excessive 22 formula after going 5-of-6 from 3. LSU’s bench doesn’t bear the construct of depth this year that will get it an X factor. Johnson is the logical preference after her efficiency in opposition to UCLA. But I’m going with Aneesah Morrow. Both shots and plays might per chance perhaps per chance restful open up for her if the Hawkeyes resolve to utilize most of their time making particular Reese or Johnson doesn’t beat them. Morrow has 21 double-doubles on the season and, given her propensity for increasing turnovers, she might per chance perhaps even be a game-changer on this matchup.

Barnes: Kate Martin is the Hawkeyes’ multitool player equivalent to the role Morrow plays for LSU. She will be able to play inside of however is mercurial ample to present protection to on the perimeter. Martin additionally shoots 38.4% from beyond the arc. Her 14 formula and nine boards in opposition to Colorado are the form of contribution Iowa will need on Monday. Plus, she must bear Morrow, that will perhaps per chance perhaps be its occupy form of subtle.

What role will emotion play?

Barnes: In the locker room following LSU’s get over UCLA on Saturday, Reese became requested which group she’d prefer to stare on Monday night. Her response became Colorado because of she wished the different to avenge the Tigers’ season-opening loss. “Needless to claim, we are going to take Iowa as neatly,” she added. She tacked on the response, however this game is more than a rematch of perfect year’s title game. Reese’s and Clark’s lives irrevocably changed the very best time they performed every other. They’re each and every extremely infamous now, with millions of followers on social media.

However the responses to their brash personalities can vary, as viewed with the criticisms of Reese following her “it is most likely you’ll perhaps per chance perhaps per chance not stare me” and “ring me” celebrations in perfect year’s national championship game. Reese became known as “classless” and an “fool.” Clark, who did a identical celebration earlier within the match, didn’t skills the identical stage of vitriol, which Reese pointed out straight away.

The racialized responses weigh heavily a year later. After which there’s the indisputable truth that LSU is the reigning national champion and beat Iowa to advise that title. All of that tension will dangle thick within the air on Monday night. The group that higher navigates this can plod to Cleveland.

Voopel: Clark will get loads of social media vitriol, too, from other folks that express she complains too mighty to officials, or that she pushes off defenders, that she flops to get wicked calls or that she can get too mighty media consideration, or … you name it. That is nothing contemporary in sports: Clark and Reese each and every climbed the ladder of popularity perfect season thru their success, and that has its advantages and its pitfalls. As the worn announcing goes, opposing followers never abhor other groups’ common gamers. They abhor the celebrities, and that is Clark and Reese.

Clark total gave the impression calmer Saturday in opposition to Colorado than she did within the early rounds, however that will perhaps per chance perhaps need needed to achieve with the additional stress on the Hawkeyes to get at home. Iowa followers drag so neatly, they’re going to impression MVP Enviornment here in Albany in actuality feel plenty take care of Carver-Hawkeye Enviornment, and that will bring loads of emotion, too.

Adelson: The emotional piece of this game is what intrigues me basically the most. Who can forget the methodology the national championship game ended, with Reese pointing at her ring finger and making the John Cena “You can not stare me” hand gesture, waving her hand across her face in direction of Clark? As Katie talked about, the outcry after that moment, and the hardened stances about each and every gamers since then, will all plan roaring motivate Monday night.

Even though Iowa is the increased seed, LSU goes into this game because the reigning champion. The Tigers know they’ve overwhelmed the Hawkeyes before. The emotional weight of searching for to defeat the group that beat you for the national championship might per chance perhaps per chance perhaps be heavier on the Hawkeyes. As Clark acknowledged after the get over Colorado, “Anytime it is most likely you’ll perhaps per chance need got a guess to plod up in opposition to any individual you lost to, it brings somewhat more energy.” Combine that with the truth this might per chance per chance perhaps per chance perhaps also be Clark’s perfect game in her story-setting profession, and emotions will no query be excessive.

The LSU Tigers will get if …

Adelson: … they play with the construct of physicality that flusters Iowa and forces the Hawkeyes into rotten shots.

Barnes: … they’re in a neighborhood to dominate the boards and accomplish inside of.

Voopel: … they sustain Iowa from scoring within the paint and pressure the Hawkeyes away from the fluid ball motion that is so mighty a chunk of their success. Iowa received a slowed-down defensive slog in opposition to West Virginia within the 2nd spherical, however received’t in opposition to LSU.

The Iowa Hawkeyes will get if …

Adelson: … they get the rebounding fight and shoot lights out from 3.

Barnes: … they might be able to restrict LSU’s 2nd-likelihood formula, coupled with Caitlin Clark doing Caitlin Clark things.

Voopel: … LSU struggles with taking pictures, and Iowa is in a neighborhood to get ample rebounds to commence the transition game it excels at so mighty. Plus, the Hawkeyes bear to impression 3-pointers. A form of them.

Which group will head to the Final Four?

Adelson: I picked UCLA to plan motivate out of this relate because of I didn’t express Iowa would impression it to the Final Four. So I’m going with LSU for the reason that Tigers’ physical presence will be too mighty for Iowa to conquer.

Barnes: I picked LSU to get this matchup when the bracket came out, and might per chance perhaps per chance well restful persist with the Tigers. Iowa received’t bear a solution for LSU within the paint, and that will be the variation.

Voopel: Iowa is never forever in actuality the underdog by seed, however the Hawkeyes on the other hand in actuality feel take care of the underdog. Someone needs to make a decision on the underdog, loyal? So I will. It received’t loyal be on Clark, despite the indisputable truth that. An Iowa get can happen if her teammates play one of their absolute best games collectively, too.