Before arriving in Colorado last summer, Maddie Nolan had a successful four-year tenure with the Michigan women’s basketball team.
During her time with the Wolverines, Maddie Nolan faced off against Caitlin Clark and Iowa, securing a win on Feb. 6, 2022. Nolan has a 1-3 record against Iowa over the past three years and is the only CU player to have defeated Clark’s Hawkeyes.
The fifth-seeded Buffs (24-9) will take on top-seeded Iowa (31-4) in the Sweet 16 in Albany, N.Y., on Saturday (1:30 p.m. MT, ABC). Nolan’s experience against the Hawkeyes could benefit CU.
CU head coach JR Payne stated that Nolan's insights and advice based on her experience will be valuable for the team.
Iowa’s roster has evolved, but key players such as Clark, Gabbie Marshall, and Kate Martin remain, proving that Clark is not the sole threat.
Nolan highlighted the significant improvement of Iowa’s players, especially Martin, emphasizing her expanded scoring and her crucial role for the team.
Caitlin Clark, the all-time leading scorer in college basketball history, is a pivotal player for Iowa.
Nolan believes that containing Clark is a challenge, and she anticipates a tough matchup.
In Michigan’s victory against Iowa two years ago, Nolan contributed 17 points and five rebounds, while Clark scored 46 points and delivered 10 assists.
Apart from her experience against Iowa, Nolan stands out as the sole Buff with an Elite Eight appearance (in 2022) and her third Sweet 16 appearance. She holds an overall record of 8-3 in NCAA Tournament games.
Scarcity of three-pointers
Frida Formann, on the brink of breaking CU’s career record for made 3-pointers, faced an atypical start to the NCAA Tournament.
In CU’s triumph against Drake on March 22, Formann's playing time was limited to 14 minutes due to foul trouble, resulting in a season-low two points, and for the first time during her four-year CU career, she did not attempt a 3-pointer. In the subsequent game against Kansas State, she scored nine points but missed both of her 3-point attempts.
This marks the first occasion during her time at CU that Formann played two consecutive games without registering a 3-pointer.
Formann, who averages 12.5 points and 2.4 made 3s per game, remains unfazed due to her extensive basketball experience.
She expressed gratitude for being part of a team with outstanding players, acknowledging that her role on the team is not solely focused on scoring, highlighting her appreciation for the privilege of being a starter.
“I definitely want to make points, and I might need to make some 3-pointers if we want to go far, but it's a real honor to play with such talented teammates.”
Formann made four 3-pointers against Iowa in the Sweet 16 last year.
Formann has made 257 3-pointers in her career, which ties the CU record with Bianca Smith (2006-10). This season, she has hit a career-high of 79, just three short of Smith’s single-season record (82 in 2009-10).
Notable
Nolan (.435) and Formann (.422) both have 3-point percentages this season that would place them in the top 10 in CU history. … CU has made 221 3-pointers as a team, which is the third-best single-season total in program history. The record was 236, in 2007-08. … CU went to Albany on Thursday and will have a practice and press conference at MVP Arena on Friday. … Saturday will be only the fourth time ever that CU will play a game in New York, and the Buffs have never lost in the Empire State. CU won at Fordham (Jan. 14, 1980), at Syracuse (Dec. 31, 2002) and at Buffalo (Jan. 2, 2003).
