Caitlin Clark and Iowa are looking to make history against LSU in the NCAA Tournament final: ‘Gosh, she’s special’

DALLAS — Caitlin Clark has captured the attention of basketball fans with her historic performance in the NCAA Tournament.

Iowa’s sensational guard will try to finish off the unprecedented run she has led the Hawkeyes on with a championship when they face LSU in the title game Sunday.

“Winning a national championship is how you put a final bow on it,” Clark said. “That’s the best way, but we’re going to give it everything we have for 40 more minutes. We know that’s all we have left of our season.”

The dazzling guard, who grew up in Iowa, became the first women’s player to post back-to-back 40-point performances in the NCAA Tournament after her 41-point game lifted the Hawkeyes over previously unbeaten South Carolina in the Final Four.

Now she’ll try to etch her name next to some of the greatest to win a title — such as Cheryl Miller, Sheryl Swoopes, Chamique Holdsclaw, Diana Taurasi, Candace Parker, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson,

Another SEC team stands in the way: LSU and coach Kim Mulkey, who was impressed watching Clark on Friday night.

“That’s my first time to see her play in person, and I didn’t get to watch the game because I had to deal with (the media),” Mulkey said. “When I did get out there, I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. Gosh, she’s special. She’s special.”

While her team doesn’t have any title experience, Mulkey has been in this position three times before when she was coaching Baylor. Each time she came away with the title.

To keep that perfect record intact, LSU will have to find a way to slow down Clark.

“Iowa is a great team, and I’m going to give credit where it’s due — they have the best player, the player of the year, Caitlin Clark,” LSU guard Alexis Morris said. “She’s amazing. I respect her game.”

It took Mulkey five years to get Baylor to the championship game. She did it in two with the flagship school in her home state after beating Virginia Tech in the semifinals.

The Tigers made the Final Four in five straight seasons from 2004-08 led by women’s basketball greats Seimone Augustus and Sylvia Fowles. LSU never could get to the title game until now. The men’s team also had never made it.

“It is so exciting — I don’t even know how old LSU is,” Mulkey said. “I don’t even know when they started playing men’s or women’s basketball, but it has to be a long time ago. And to think all those great players that have played in the NBA and the WNBA, and they never played for a national championship. That’s mind-boggling to me.”

Iowa is looking to become only the second Big Ten team to win the national championship, joining Purdue, which did it in 1999 under Carolyn Peck. The last women’s team from the conference to play in the final was Michigan State — which lost to Mulkey and Baylor in 2005.

Angel Reese and Kateri Poole are no strangers to Clark, having played against her when they were in the Big Ten. Reese transferred from Maryland, Poole from Ohio State.

“Luckily, me and Kateri have played them before in the Big Ten, so I know what Caitlin brings to the table for sure,” Reese said. “Just making sure that third and fourth player, making sure they don’t go off and get their 20 points, that’s going to be the difference.”