LSU Lady Tigers win NCAA Championship against Iowa
The LSU Lady Tigers made history on Sunday night, April 2, 2023, when they defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes,102-85 to win the 2023 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship. It was the first national championship for the LSU women's basketball program. A game that will go down on the history books for sure.
The Lady Tigers were led by All-American guard Khayla Pointer, who scored 22 points and added 10 assists. Forward Faustine Aifuwa added 19 points and 12 rebounds, while guard Jailin Cherry scored 18 points.
The Hawkeyes were led by Caitlin Clark, who scored 30 points. However, the Tigers were able to hold off the Hawkeyes' late rally to secure the victory. LSU put Iowa away in the fourth quarter, Reese pointed to her finger, signifying that it was her turn to get that championship ring and hit Clark with the John Cena "you can’t see me" taunt. Clark had made the taunt in Iowa’s Elite Eight win when she had a 40-point triple-double.
Angel Reese was named M.O.P aka Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament. With 15 points and 10 rebounds, she set an NCAA Division 1 record for most double-doubles in a single season with 34.
Quick recap, Reese, the third-year forward joined LSU before the start of the 2022-2023 season after she started her collegiate career at Maryland. With the Terrapins, she was averaging 15.3 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. She took her game to another level when she joined LSU.
After calling out Clark's disrespectful defensive stance, Alexis Morris kept the momentum of the game on 100. Morris was on FIRE in the mid range on the court. Her shots were keeping the Hawkeyes at bay the whole game.
The Lady Tigers finished the season with a record of 33-3. They were the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and they defeated No. 16 seed Jackson State, No. 8 seed Maryland, No. 5 seed Notre Dame, No. 1 seed South Carolina, and No. 2 seed Iowa to win the championship.
The victory was a historic moment for the program and for the state of Louisiana. It was the first national championship for any women's basketball team in the state of Louisiana. The Lady Tigers were led by head coach Kim Mulkey, who is in her second season with the program with a brand new squad that ended season as champions. Mulkey is a Hall of Fame coach who has won three national championships, two with Baylor and one with Louisiana Tech.
LSU's victory was a testament to the hard work and dedication of the players and coaches. They were able to overcome adversity throughout the season, and they came together to win the national championship.
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