Iowa Hawkeyes square off against South Carolina in Final Four

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - The Iowa Hawkeyes are going to the NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four for the first time since 1993 with their win over Louisville Sunday.

On Wednesday, Junior Guard Caitlin Clark was named Naismith National Player of the Year.

For players and coaches on the team, it’s been a dream of theirs to return the program to the Final Four and put Iowa back on the map as one of the top teams in the country. Now they have a date with one of the best programs this past decade.

“A lot of doubters, a lot of people saying, ‘You’re really think you’re going to make it to the Final Four with the University of Iowa?’ I believed it every single second.” Clark said.

“My first five years as a coach, I couldn’t even afford to go to the Final Four. And now, we’re going to be there. I remember going so many times and seeing people there, thinking, ‘Wow, wouldn’t that be cool to be there.’ And we’re going to be there, we’re going to be there.” Iowa Head Coach Lisa Bluder said.

Iowa will be looking to notch the first loss of the season for South Carolina on Friday, that game tipping off at 8:00 p.m. on ESPN. The Gamecocks are led by last year’s National Player of the Year Aliyah Boston and this year’s Coach of the year Dawn Staley, and the program is on a 42 game win streak.

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