Caitlin Clark has made her name on her scoring. This is what fills the highlight reel—her buzzer beaters, her logo shots, her dramatic baskets. But her passing game is what truly sets her apart. The same court vision that makes her such an effective scorer makes her unrivaled as a distributor. And it was that passing ability that was crucial to punching Iowa’s ticket to the Sweet 16 on Sunday.
Clark took control late to seal No. 2 Iowa’s 74–66 win over No. 10 Georgia. Of the team’s 33 second-half points, 31 of them ran through Clark, either scored or assisted by her. (And the remaining two points were the ones physically impossible for her to have had a hand in: They came on a pair of free throws by Monika Czinano.) It was a showcase of Clark’s ability to take over a game. Yet the 12 assists on her final line stood out more than the 22 points: Yes, Clark is the most electric player here, but Iowa is at its best when she can count on facilitating the offense among her supporting cast.
“I knew I needed to step up and make plays for this team,” Clark said. “I thought I was able to pick apart their zone with my eyes and get the ball inside…. When I'm able to pass the ball and get over 10 assists, I feel like it gives our team the balance we need to reach the goals that we want to achieve.”
