Celtics have high praise for Iowa star Caitlin Clark, women’s NCAA Tournament
Caitlin Clark, the star guard for Iowa, led the Hawkeyes to the women’s NCAA Tournament Final Four by scoring 41 points.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — After the Boston Celtics beat the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night, the focus of the NBA’s best team quickly turned to something else: watching Caitlin Clark and the final minutes of Iowa’s victory over LSU in the Elite Eight of the women’s NCAA Tournament.
With the volume on the television cranked up, 10 Celtics players sat in a row at their lockers icing their feet, and intently watching Clark make nine 3-pointers and score 41 points to lead Iowa to the Final Four with a 94-87 win.
“One player asked, “How many 3s does she have?””
When informed that it was nine, he responded by shaking his head and saying, “Man, that girl can really play.”
“Caitlin Clark is stealing the show of basketball, not only in the women’s game but also the men’s game,” Celtics forward Sam Hauser said. “She’s just really good. And she’s definitely worth the watch.”
Only in the last few seconds of the game, when Iowa had secured a victory, did the players finally swap their game uniforms for shower attire, continuing to discuss Clark’s remarkable performance.
Clark is the NCAA Division I all-time scoring leader and will enter the Final Four with 3,900 career points and in sixth place on college basketball’s all-division, all-time scoring list.
Hauser remembers numerous nights when NBA players were engrossed in the men’s NCAA Tournament at their lockers, often rooting for their own alma maters. However, it was unusual to see them so absorbed in a women’s game.
“UConn used to dominate for years, but now women’s basketball is a more level playing field,” stated Hauser. “And without a doubt, (Clark) has certainly seized everyone’s attention.”
