"Might cost them the conference" - Caitlin Clark's nail-biting 82-79 loss against Nebraska shatters Iowa fans

Sunday seemed like a great day for Caitlin Clark, but she went cold, failing to break the NCAA scoring mark and then losing to Nebraska 82-79. While Clark's scoring mark will simply wait for Tuesday's game, No. 2 Iowa's turning a 14-point lead to a loss is big. The loss dropped the Hawkeyes out of the lead in the Big Ten and has some Iowa fans questioning the team's future.

Iowa's late stumble

Nebraska guard Jaz Shelley had a big game against Iowa, in a loss that might hurt the Hawkeyes' season significantly.

Sunday was shaping up as a great day for Iowa. The Hawkeyes led 69-55 over unranked Nebraska entering the fourth quarter. And Clark, who had 31 points through three quarters, needed just eight points to set the record. But then a funny thing happened on the way to certainty.

Clark shot 0-for-6 in the fourth quarter, with her final miss coming with Iowa trailing 82-79 and the clock winding down. Iowa shot just 4-for-17 in the fourth quarter, while Nebraska poured on 27 points. The 16-8 Huskers likely earned an NCAA bid with the victory, keyed by 23 points by Australian guard Jaz Shelley.

Impact on Iowa's season

Iowa fell to 11-2 in Big Ten play and 22-3 overall. The Hawkeyes' previous losses were on Nov. 16 against Kansas State and at Ohio State on Jan. 21. The second loss puts Iowa behind No. 5 Ohio State (21-3, 12-1) in the Big Ten race.

In the latest ESPN Bracketology column, bracketologist Charlie Creme had the Hawkeyes as a No. 1 seed, along with South Carolina, N.C. State and Stanford. N.C. State, Stanford, and Ohio State all have three losses, so it's far from a certainty that the Hawkeyes can hold on to a top seed.

With four games left in the regular season, one matchup to circle on the calendar is Iowa's game at No. 14 Indiana (20-3, 11-2) on Feb. 22. The other big game is the finale, a rematch with Ohio State on March 3, which may end up deciding the Big Ten regular season title.

Caitlin Clark is still having a record-breaking season and may be the greatest player in the history of the sport. But on Sunday, that didn't stop Iowa from a big stumble. The Hawkeyes essentially lost any wiggle room for the remainder of the year. For Clark to have the upper hand in chasing the NCAA title that has eluded her, the time to act is now. And plenty of Iowa fans are concerned.

Should Iowa fans be concerned? Will the Hawkeyes gain a No. 1 seed? Let us know what you think in our comment section.