It’s a vintage Jordan era for team Iowa. The growing spotlight on His Airness back in time had paled others in camp and comparison. The record-breaking rise of Caitlin Clark has seemingly shadowed other hoopers and hustlers in Haykeyes.
However, mindful of her superstar side-effect, Clark applauded her teammate and demonstrated her true selfless team spirit.
The camaraderie came when Clark & Co. defeated the Penn State by a blowout margin of 95-62 which sent clear signals to all of their competitors that playing against this Iowa team isn’t for the faint-hearted.
What did Clark do?
A humble Clark put her teammate Sydney Affolter at the centerstage by sharing a story on her official Instagram handle. In the shared video, Affolter can be seen running with delight, most probably after her team gained a few points.
Clark captioned the story, “Kids on Fire,” and tagged the official account of the 5 feet 11 inch guard.
The video was originally shared by the Iowa official account along with Affolter’s social ID.
Affolter basketed 18 points with 9 rebounds and 5 assists.
She was the second-highest scorer after Clark for her team and her exceptional display earned praise from all quarters. But Clark praising the senior guard was more special since it was a fabulous outing for Clark herself.
She potted 24 points with 10 rebounds and therefore smoked a double-double.
Not only that, with this game Clark eclipsed former Davidson Wildcats point guard Stephen Curry’s highest three-pointers in a single season record. While Curry had 162 three-pointers, Clark now has 164.
Looking forward to the semi-finals now, Hawkeyes surely have found a golden girl in Clark who takes her leadership responsibilities quite seriously.
What’ll happen in the semi-finals?
The semifinals of the prestigious tournament will take place on Saturday when Hawkeyes will square off against Michigan Wolverines. Michigan won their quarterfinal game against Indiana Hoosiers to advance to the semis.
Going by Hawkeyes’ performance this season, they’re the favorites to emerge victorious in the match and advance to the Finals that will take place on Sunday.
Clark with her claps for Affolter has only shown that she is not the only star in this team. Instead, Hawkeyes can now depend on contributions from their other players to emerge triumphant in games.
Perhaps, the remaining Iowa team would now be looking for opportunities to earn recognition from the NCAA sensation going forward in the tourney.
