The 2023-24 women’s college basketball season isn’t even a week old, but between standout individual performances, major nonconference matchups and some all-around stellar play, the past four days have been the perfect teaser for what’s to come on the road to Cleveland in April.
The most thrilling day featured a pair of ranked matchups on Thursday: No. 18 Florida State upset No. 11 Tennessee in a 92-91 win in Tallahassee. Then, in a battle of two 2023 Final Four teams, No. 3 Iowa took down No. 8 Virginia Tech 80-76 in the Ally Tipoff, which featured a neutral-site crowd of nearly 16,000 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The point guard duel between Caitlin Clark and the Hokies’ Georgia Amoore was exceptional, with Clark putting together a 44-point, eight-rebound and six-assist outing, while the Amoore finished with a team-high 31 points on 7-for-14 shooting from the 3-point arc.
So what have we learned this season and what are we looking forward to Sunday in the women’s tripleheader on ABC and ESPN?
Clark’s complementary cast continues to get it done
After advancing to its first national title game, Iowa lost two starters from last season, most critically the Robin to Clark’s Batman in Monika Czinano. But in their win over Virginia Tech, the Hawkeyes largely picked up where they left off: Clark leading the way as teammates stepped up.
The reigning national player of the year accounted for 56 of Iowa’s 80 points, while Hannah Stuelke filled in nicely with 12 points, Kate Martin chipped in 10 and Sydney Affolter was a force on the glass with 14 rebounds. The Hawkeyes also fairly contained two-time ACC player of the year Elizabeth Kitley, limiting her…
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