Preview: Iowa-South Carolina Final Four

Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston Lead Powerful All-Around Teams

Iowa's Caitlin Clark poses for a photo with a fan during team practice on March 30, 2023 at American Airlines Center in Dallas(Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)

Caitlin Clark knows this is much bigger than player vs. player.

Friday’s NCAA Final Four semifinal in Dallas between Iowa and South Carolina has gotten the narrative of Clark, the Hawkeyes’ All-American point guard, against Aliyah Boston, the Gamecocks’ forward who is also an All-American.

Two players on everybody’s national player of the year finalist list, although Clark has already snagged the Naismith Trophy and the Associated Press honor.

But it’s not a one-and-one battle, Clark said. This is much deeper.

“It's going to be Iowa versus South Carolina, and that's who's going to win the game,” Clark said on Thursday. “It's not going to be one player who's going to win the game. I'm lucky enough to have four really good teammates on the court with me at the same time. I love playing a team sport. I don't think I would like to play an individual sport.”

For as much as the national narrative wants to be about two of the best players in the game facing off, who wins Friday’s game will come down to those around them.

“People compare Caitlin to Aliyah, and to me that's apples to oranges,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “It makes no sense. They are completely different players. They are completely different positions. They're both great at what they do, but what they do is different. So I don't think you can compare the two of them.

“They both contribute so much to their team's success, but to me it's not Caitlin versus Aliyah. It's Iowa versus South Carolina, and we have to continue to remember that.”

That, in itself, is a compelling story line.

South Carolina (36-0), the top seed in the tournament, is the defending national champion. Iowa (30-6), the No. 5 seed overall, brings in an eight-game winning streak.

“We know we have an incredible challenge ahead of us, but at the same time, everybody loves an underdog,” Bluder said. “So hopefully a lot of people will be cheering for us.”

But it is Clark vs. Boston, too, in a sense, and it is must-see, not just on TV but in American Airlines Arena. Ticket prices for Friday’s game are significantly higher than the Men’s Final Four in Houston.

“I really think the sky's the limit,” Clark said. “I don't know if ticket prices are as indicative because ours is in an actual basketball arena, and they're playing in a football stadium. I don't know how much that affects it. But I think it shows the demand that people want to be here and be in the arena that seats 20,000 people.

“More than anything, I'm just lucky and we're just lucky to get to play on a stage in front of so many people that love the game and want to watch our game.”

“It feels really nice,” Boston said of the attention. “You can always think about people making negative comments about women's basketball, women's sports in general, but it's proof that the numbers are going up. Everyone is excited to watch the women's game. Everyone is buying their tickets to travel to watch their favorite players, watch their favorite team.

“So you can't really deny that people are interested in watching women's sports. So it's just really exciting to be part of the generation that's continuing to help it grow.”

The Gamecocks are deep. Boston isn’t even the leading scorer for South Carolina — she averages 13.2 points per game, while Zia Cooke averages 15.1. The Gamecocks, one of the nation’s best defensive teams, have given up just 51.1 points per game. They haven’t had a victory margin in the single digits since a 64-57 overtime win over Ole Miss on February 19.

“They're going to be all up on us playing really good defense, and that's what they hang their hat on. They're really good at it,” Clark said. “So just relying on one another. There's going to be ups and downs in the game, and that's how basketball is played. We have five really good players on the floor at the same time, and we're going to have to use one another, and everybody's going to have to contribute.”

Iowa leads the nation in scoring offense at 87.6 points per game. But Boston said the Gamecocks will be ready to play at any tempo.

“I think we also like to push pace,” she said. “We like to get up and down the floor. So I think it could be a fast-based game. I don't think we're going to look at it as a challenge because they like to get up and down the floor because we enjoy doing that as well.”

Clark says the Hawkeyes have the scoring punch to answer, and it’s not just going to be from her.

“I think we're lucky enough where we've built a culture and a program where we always have each other's backs,” she said. “I feel like Gabbie (Marshall) and McKenna (Warnock) and Kate (Martin) are shooting the ball really well, and that can pose some problems.”

It’s not just Clark vs. Boston. The narrative is much deeper.

“We've gone up against some really tremendous teams,” Clark said. “Obviously we know South Carolina is taller than anybody we've ever played. They haven't lost a game all season. We're just going to be us and believe that we can win, and that's all you can do.

“We're going to give it everything we have, and we've enjoyed every second in Dallas, and we want to be playing two more basketball games.”