Although the Final Four for the NCAA Men’s Tournament is decided, the attention in college basketball will be on Albany, N.Y., at 7 p.m. on Monday, when LSU and Iowa women's teams compete in the Elite 8. The victorious team earns a spot in the Final Four, which begins on Friday in Cleveland.
The teams showcase two well-known figures in women’s basketball — LSU coach Kim Mulkey and Iowa’s Caitlin Clark. Mulkey has been involved in seven NCAA championships, while Clark holds the NCAA’s all-time scoring record with 3,859 career points.
This is a rematch of last year's NCAA championship game, which LSU won 102-85. Monday’s game is expected to be equally intense.
Who could analyze the game better than Dan Burt, the coach of Duquesne's women’s team, who has achieved 209 wins since taking over the program in 2013? He guided the team to a 21-13 record this season and a place in the WNIT.
Here are his insights, and unlike the photo accompanying the story, Burt has strong opinions about the outcome:
“Today’s game features contrasting styles. Iowa is centered around the exceptional talent of Caitlin Clark, known for her scoring and ability to enhance her teammates' performance. I believe that Caitlin Clark is the greatest offensive player in women’s basketball history.
“Iowa is a well-coached team with supporting players who complement Clark. The team maintains its strategy of pace, space, and 3-point shooting, and is better in transition than commonly acknowledged.
“I prefer not to draw comparisons between women and men's players, but there are definitely similarities between Iowa, Clark, and (Steph) Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
“LSU comprises highly skilled players, making them one of the most talented teams in women’s basketball after South Carolina. Presently, LSU may not be at their peak, but they are finding ways to win, displaying a strong team spirit, making them, in my view, the team to beat. LSU is likely to win, unless Caitlin Clark delivers an exceptionally dominant performance, unprecedented in women’s basketball history. LSU has too many weapons at every position.
“LSU’s standout player is Flau’jae Johnson, who is performing exceptionally well in the postseason and is gaining recognition as a national star in basketball. While Angel Reese and Hailey Van Lith attract a lot of attention, I believe that the key players for LSU will be the freshman Mikaylah Williams, a dynamic scorer, and Last-Tear Poa, an outstanding defender and the team’s anchor and resilient player.
“Reese will be a formidable force in the post, consistently achieving a double-double. Iowa will need to find a way to prevent her from dominating the rebounding.
