College basketball fans are expecting a big-time clash as the Caitlin Clark-led Iowa Hawkeyes take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the final of the 2024 Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament on Sunday in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Fans expect another big night for Clark, who delivered a double-double of 28 points and 15 assists in 32 minutes, to help the Hawkeyes to a 95-68 victory over Michigan in the semifinals.
One fan looks forward to another snowstorm from the Iowa guard, who buried four three-pointers against the Wolverines to hike her total for three-pointers to 164.
With Clark leading the Hawkeyes, fans are expecting the match to be a walk in the park for Iowa with some predicting the outcome of the Big Ten Women's Tournament final already.
On the other hand, Nebraska fans are optimistic about their team's chances against the favored Iowa.
Other X users see the matchup as fun and exciting.
Caitlin Clark-led Iowa meets Nebraska for the third time this season
No. 3 Iowa and Nebraska split the season series and the final is the third clash between the two teams. The Hawkeyes won their first meeting, 92-73, but the Cornhuskers exacted revenge on their second encounter, 82-79.
The Hawkeyes made it to the finals as they trampled Penn State and Michigan in the quarterfinals and the semifinals, respectively, while the Cornhuskers beat Michigan State and Maryland to gain a ticket to the Big Ten Tournament finale.
Clark will once again lead the Hawkeyes but she has reliable teammates that could contribute whenever their superstar guard is bottled up.
Hannah Stuelke, Sydney Affolter, and Kate Martin are expected to deliver double-digit numbers in offense to ease the burden for the future No. 1 WNBA pick.
On the other hand, Nebraska will rely on 6-foot-3 center Alexis Markowski and guard Jaz Shelley to counter the firepower brought by Clark. Markowski has averaged 15.7 points and 10.7 rebounds for the Cornhuskers this season. She is expected to use her height to rule the paint.
However, she needs to avoid foul trouble to use that advantage. In her last match against Maryland, Markowski was limited to nine points and 13 rebounds as she was fouled out after playing for 25 minutes.
Shelley has been a great second-fiddle for Nebraska as she averages 13.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 5.4 assists. Her talent was in full bloom against Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament semifinal as she tallied 30 points, nine assists, four rebounds, and two steals.
The Big Ten women's championship clash between Iowa and Nebraska will tip off at 12:00 PM ET at the Target Center.
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