WNBA COMMISSIONER REPORTEDLY HAD TO BE 'PERSUADED' TO SUSPEND ALYSSA THOMAS FOR CAITLIN CLARK INCIDENT

Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) scrambles to get up over Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, during a game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Phoenix Mercury defeated the Indiana Fever, 111-109.

Last month, the WNBA made a rather high-profile decision to suspend Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas for pushing on the neck of Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark during a game. However, according to a new report, the league’s commissioner had to be persuaded to do so.

While the incident and the subsequent suspension became one of the biggest talking points in sports over the past several weeks, it sounds like WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert was not originally planning to suspend Thomas for the incident until NBA Commissioner Adam Silver stepped in.

Thomas Suspended

The incident in question occurred during the June 24 showdown between the Fever and the Mercury. Both Clark and Thomas fell to the floor. While getting up, Thomas pushed onto Clark’s neck in what she has since described as a “complete accident.”

While Thomas was not even assessed a common foul during the game, the league later suspended her for one game with a $1,000 fine.

Following her suspension, Thomas expressed her frustration about the lack of communication from the league, claiming that she didn’t even know about the suspension until about 10 minutes before the news hit social media. She also specifically called out Engelbert for her silence on the matter while she was receiving death threats from fans.

“We still have yet to hear anything from Cathy [Engelbert],” Thomas said. “It’s no surprise. You could see what’s being said on social media. Yeah, it’s unfortunate, but as usual, she remains silent. That’s unfortunate when our lives our being threatened.”

Engelbert did eventually make a statement saying that the league “vehemently condemns any and all forms of hate,” but it came after Thomas’ comments criticizing her.

Clark agreed with the league’s decision to retroactively declare the foul a flagrant foul, but she also condemned the hate that Thomas was receiving on social media.

Engelbert Had to Be Persuaded

While the league’s execution, messaging, and response to Thomas’ suspension was messy at best, it sounds like there could be a reason why: Engelbert was reportedly never planning to suspend Thomas in the first place.

According to a report from the Sports Business Journal, which cited multiple anonymous sources, Engelbert was not planning to suspend Thomas until NBA Commissioner Adam Silver stepped in and persuaded her to do so.

“WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert was not planning to suspend Alyssa Thomas for burying a fist into Caitlin Clark’s throat three weeks ago until NBA Commissioner Adam Silver implored her to reverse course and issue the discipline, multiple sources told SBJ Tuesday,” Tom Friend wrote for SBJ.

It’s worth noting that a WNBA spokesperson told the outlet on Wednesday it was “absolutely false’’ that Engelbert did not originally plan to suspend Thomas, but SBJ stands by its reporting.

- Dave Kelsey

FORMER WNBA STAR SLAMS LEAGUE OVER PUNISHMENT OF CAITLIN CLARK NEMESIS AS PUNCH CONTROVERSY RUMBLES ON

 

Former WNBA player and ESPN analyst Chiney Ogwumike believes the league caved to online pressure to punish Alyssa Thomas for an incident involving Caitlin Clark on what she believes was a routine play.

Last week, Thomas and Clark dove for a loose ball on the floor where slow motion replays appeared to show the former hitting the Indiana Fever star in the throat with a closed fist. At the time, no foul was called due to the quick nature of the incident.

Internet reaction trended toward outrage as Fever fans and right-wing media viewed this as yet another example of the league failing to protect Clark. Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White called the no-call 'absolutely egregious' and 'utterly disrespectful.'

One day later, the league retroactively assessed a flagrant II foul on Thomas and suspended her for a game. Thomas missed a game against the Toronto Tempo on Saturday night.

While Thomas does have a history of playing tough, Ogwumike believes that the angry mob on social media tipped the scales leading to her suspension and that the two players involved moved on after the play.

'To me, overall, officiating has been a universal issue this year. And that's not the goal of any league, but this is the reality,' Ogwumike said on an episode of WNBA Countdown.

"When narratives are created based off of a freeze-frame, that can create a huge problem. The league was reacting to the optics of that image."

—@chiney on the contact between Alyssa Thomas and Caitlin Clark that resulted in Thomas' suspension. pic.twitter.com/jhmv9GzknP

— espnW (@espnW) June 28, 2026

WNBA analyst Chiney Ogwumike believes the league suspended Alyssa Thomas as a result of caving to public pressure after slow-motion footage of her incident with Caitlin Clark surfaced

Thomas and Clark both dove for a loose ball, leading to Thomas hitting Clark in the throat
Ogwumike said her heart was breaking over the vitriol Thomas is getting from the incident

Ogwumike said her heart was breaking over the vitriol Thomas is getting from the incident

The former WNBA Rookie of the Year added, 'You're seeing that there's an imperative to call more fouls, but there's still a lack of situational awareness or a lack of control of the game by the refs... You can see one game where one is super physical and one where people are dropping 50. There's been a lack of consistency and this creates a problem in magnifier matchups.

'And this is a magnifier matchup when you look back at it. Alyssa Thomas, Caitlin Clark, both dominant players, but Alyssa plays on the edge. I know her. And Caitlin sometimes embellishes at times in certain instances. 

'So when you have a scrum, like you said, there needs to be a hypervigilance. But also this created a position where the league is now forced to be reactive. And instead of having control of not just calling fouls, now the league is reacting and doing something that it rarely does on a non-call and instituting a suspension. And to me, that was unique.'

Ogwumike believes this happened 'because of the optics,' adding, 'I was watching game speed, I didn't really notice too much because people hit the ground all the time.

'But when narratives are created based off of a freeze frame, that can create a huge problem. And I do think that's the league reacting to the optics of that image.'

'If you're watching it in real time, both players - who are known to make their issues known - got up and kept going. That was my thing. And so that's why I have a problem.'

Ogwumike added that the backlash to Thomas 'breaks my heart' because of the 'heightened level of vitriol' that she is facing.

'If the league could really handle this better in real time and figuring out how— we want more points, we want more fouls, but how do we keep an eye on these specific matchups so we can avoid the narratives getting out of our control?' Ogwumike asked.

- JAKE FENNER

CAITLIN CLARK VS. JAMAL CRAWFORD IN A GAME OF N-B-C 👀

 

CAITLIN CLARK KOBE SNEAKERS SELL OUT IN MINUTES

If you were hoping to snag a pair of Caitlin Clark's Kobe 5s, you better have had the Mamba Mentality and locked in -- 'cause the Indiana Fever superstar's shoes sold out in minutes!!

The $190 Kobe V Protro went on sale Monday morning ... and they were gone in the blink of an eye. Some folks who were lucky enough to cop a pair wasted no time heading to eBay -- listing the kicks with buy-now prices of $400!!

When @caitlinclark22 laces her new Kobe 5 Protro PE she steps into a new dimension.

Noise fades, focus hits, and all that's left is her drive to dominate.

Available 6.30 on SNKRS in select regions. pic.twitter.com/wDjgoHMcD0

— Nike Basketball (@nikebasketball) June 29, 2025 @nikebasketball

Clark's iteration of the late basketball legend's shoe features "Midnight Navy, Bright Crimson, vibrant hits of University Gold, and polished off with a high-gloss finish that glistens under the spotlight."

Clark's fondness for Bryant's shoes is no secret. During her appearance on "New Heights" earlier this year with Jason and Travis Kelce, she called them the G.O.A.T. basketball shoe.

If you weren't quick with entering your credit card information, you will have a chance to grab Clark's signature shoe, which is expected to be available sometime next year.

While the 23-year-old didn't know Bryant personally ... she shared a heartwarming moment with Vanessa Bryant and the fam during last year's WNBA All-Star Game.

Caitlin Clark shares a moment with the Bryant family 🧡 pic.twitter.com/JyMPjWHRMX

— WNBA (@WNBA) July 21, 2024 @WNBA

Congrats to those who got their hands on the sneaks ... and best of luck to those hoping to find them anywhere near the retail price!!

"I only wear Kobes," she sad.

WNBA PLAYER RANKINGS

 

SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM ENFORCES FOR CAITLIN CLARK DURING WILD FLIGHT VS. SUN

 

3 EJECTED AFTER FIGHT AS SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM STEPS UP FOR CAITLIN

 

ANGEL REESE GOT HONEST ABOUT COMPETING WITH CAITLIN CLARK THROUGHOUT THE YEARS

 

Perhaps no rookie competition has been more covered by the media this year than that between Chicago Sky's Angel Reese and Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark.

Their regular season matchups in the WNBA sometimes got ugly for reasons out of the players' control, but for the most part, Reese and Clark's arrival to the league has led to a positive ripple effect causing record numbers of viewers to tune into women's basketball games week after week.

Reese spoke about her and Clark's inaugural season in the W in a recent feature article for the Wall Street Journal and had a candid take on their competitive battles throughout the years. Their on-court "rivalry" dates all the way back to their collegiate playing days, when Reese suited up for LSU and Clark was breaking records with Iowa.

"It's just a full-circle moment of how women are viewed when it comes to trash-talking," Reese said. "It's okay in men's sports. We're going to normalize that in women's sports as well. So it's just super-competitive. I think we're two great competitors."

Reese was referring to a notorious moment during the 2023 NCAA championship game when she appeared to taunt Clark by mimicking the Hawkeyes guard's "You Can't See Me" gesture. LSU went on to beat Iowa, 102-85.

"We brought a lot of fans to this league," Reese said of her and Clark's rookie campaigns. "And I think we're going to continue to do that. And one day, hopefully, we'll be teammates."

Reese and Clark notably linked up for the first time during the WNBA All-Star Game in July. With both players' Olympic futures looming in the horizon, that likely won't be the last time fans see the marquee stars share a court together.

- BY KRISTEN WONG SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

CAITLIN CLARK WINS WNBA ROOKIE OF.THE YEAR

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark was a near-unanimous pick for WNBA Rookie of the Year, the league announced Thursday.

Clark, the No. 1 draft pick in April, got 66 of 67 votes from a national media panel. The other vote went to the Chicago Sky's Angel Reese, who was the No. 7 pick in the draft.

Fever players have won the award in back-to-back seasons; Indiana forward/center Aliyah Boston won the honor last year after she was also the No. 1 draft pick. Clark and Boston helped lead the Fever to their first playoff appearance since 2016 before they were swept in the first round by the Connecticut Sun.

"I am incredibly honored to be named Rookie of the Year, but more than that, I am grateful to everyone that supported me throughout this past season -- my family and friends, my teammates, the Fever organization and everyone that cheered us on all season. I am so proud of what we accomplished and so excited for what the future holds," Clark said in a statement.

Clark was joined on the WNBA All-Rookie Team by Reese, Sky center Kamilla Cardoso, the Los Angeles Sparks' Rickea Jackson and the New York Liberty's Leonie Fiebich.

Clark had a record-breaking first WNBA season that followed her history-making college career at Iowa, where she became the all-time leading scorer in Division I basketball, men's or women's.

She started all 40 regular-season games for the Fever, who went 20-20 and finished sixth in the league. She averaged 19.2 points, a WNBA-best 8.4 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 35.4 minutes per game. She led all rookies in each of those categories except rebounding, in which she was third. Reese led the WNBA in rebounding average at 13.1.

Along with leading the league in assists, Clark was first in 3-pointers (122) and second in minutes per game and free throw percentage (90.6). She was seventh overall in scoring.

Her 337 assists set a WNBA single-season record, and she had a single-game record of 19 assists against the Dallas Wings in July. She also set a rookie season mark with 769 points and became the first WNBA rookie to record a triple-double. (She had two.)

Speaking after the Fever's 87-81 loss in Game 2 against the Sun, Clark said she was thrilled about the potential she and the team have ahead of them.

"The fun part is I feel like I'm just scratching the surface," Clark said. "I know I want to help this franchise get even better, help my teammates get even better, be better for my teammates. I know there's a lot of room for me to continue to improve, so that's what excites me the most."

- Michael Voepel, ESPN Senior Writer

STEPHEN A SAYS CATLIN CLARK IS IN THE CONVERSATION FOR MVP

Stephen A. Smith says the Rookie of the Year race is over, and Caitlin Clark is in the conversation for MVP

“There is no debate. I understand Angel Reese has been doing her thing with the double-doubles—like, 24 straight double-doubles and all that. Major props to her, and she deserves it; she's gonna be number 2. But Caitlin Clark is gonna win Rookie of the Year. Caitlin Clark is in the conversation—she ain't gonna win it because A’ja Wilson is there. But Caitlin Clark is in the conversation for league MVP. I don't know if you already know that, but she's in the conversation—league MVP as a rookie.”

(Via @FirstTake )

ANGEL REESE INTERVIEW: PLAYING WITH CAITLIN CLARK, ALL-STAR & OLYMPICS | WNBA ON ESPN

 

CLARK, REESE EXCITED TO TEAM UP AT WNBA ALL-STAR

Getty Images 

 PHOENIX -- For 40 minutes on Saturday, Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese will put aside their rivalry to join forces on Team WNBA in the league's All-Star Game against the United States women's national team.

In a weekend when the stars of women's basketball have congregated in the blistering heat of Arizona, the unification of Clark and Reese has become a storyline unto itself. And they know it.

"That's what everybody wants to see," Reese said Friday.

The two, who played against each other in the 2023 Women's NCAA tournament national championship game when Clark was at Iowa and Reese was at LSU, and then three times in the first half of the WNBA season, have momentarily embraced being teammates. They spent time working on a pick-and-roll together during Friday morning's practice.

"I'm looking forward to it," Reese said. "Everybody can wear their 'Get Along' shirts together for one day, at least. So, I know a lot of people are going to come and watch us, to see all of us, but there's a lot of talent within both rosters of the teams, so they're in for a good one."

Clark thinks sharing a court with Reese will be "fun" and said it'll be "really great" to share the All-Star experience with Reese as rookies.

Clark, who led all players in All-Star Game voting, believes the attention she and Reese, who finished fifth in voting, are bringing to women's basketball will continue and also will help grow the game.

Their impact was evident in the All-Star voting. Both exceeded 380,000 votes. Last season, Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson was the top vote-getter but received fewer than 100,000 votes.

While Clark and Reese will play in the All-Star Game, both declined invitations to participate in Friday night's skills competition -- Clark in the 3-point contest and Reese in the skills challenge.

Reese said she turned down the invitation so she could "enjoy" her first All-Star Game and just watch -- at least for her first year, she said. She plans to spend part of her month-long Olympic break in Paris, even though she's not on the national team, for a vacation. She's planning on fitting in some workouts and vintage shopping.

Clark cited rest as her reason for not participating in the 3-point contest.

"I've been playing basketball for a year straight," Clark said. "It's not an easy thing to just show up to and shoot off of a rack. It's not something I've ever done before. It's not something I've had a lot of time to practice. I've been focusing on helping my team win games, so I think just enjoying this break, I think there's going to be plenty of opportunities for me to do that at some point, but at the same time, like the field of shooters that we have in the competition are really good. They're all like near 40% shooters, so I'm excited for them.

"I'll be there supporting them and it'll be fun. But, yeah, I mean, I think the thing that's best for me is just, like, I need a break and I need to take some time to myself to enjoy what I want to do. And, at times, that can be tough, being in the position that I'm in."

Even though Clark said her goal and dream was to play on the Olympic team, she admitted that getting a four-week break will be "very beneficial." She also plans on going on vacation and taking "some time to breathe."

It won't be easy, said Clark, who described herself as someone "that wants to continue to work and continue to play."

"I probably will feel a little bit uncomfortable, like not touching the basketball for a week or so," Clark said. "But I know that's going to be the healthiest thing for myself and I think just relax, like, turn my phone off, get away from everything and really enjoy it because, obviously, this past year has been super crazy.

"It's something I'm very fortunate for, as well. Like, I wouldn't change it for the world."

Although she's admittedly tired, Clark put some perspective on her exhaustion.

"I mean like, sure, I'm tired, but at the same time, there's so many people that would kill to be in my shoes and so many people that are going through so much worse in their lives," Clark said. "Like, I'm a professional basketball player, my life is pretty, pretty good, so I have no complaints. And if I'm going to be tired, I'll be tired. Like, I'll take that every single day of the week. So, this break will definitely be nice though."

Part of why she knows she has to put down the ball is to absorb and reflect on everything that has happened to her over the past year.

"It goes so fast and you don't want to miss any of the moments," Clark said. "It's crazy. It feels like yesterday I was just in college and now I'm at my first All-Star Game, so just reflect back on everything and enjoy it and get some time to reset and then come back and be ready to go for the second half."

- Josh Weinfuss, ESPN Staff Writer

CAITLIN CLARCK TAKEN NO.1 IN THE WNBA DRAFT BY THE INDIANA FEVER, AS EXPECTED

AP Photo 

 NEW YORK (AP) — Caitlin Clark admitted she was a bit nervous before being chosen with the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever, even though it was no surprise.

"I dreamed of this moment since I was in second grade, and it’s taken a lot of hard work, a lot of ups and downs, but more than anything, just trying to soak it in,” Clark said.

The former Iowa star became a household name among basketball fans during her record-breaking college career, and she will now try and help revive the Indiana franchise along with last season's No. 1 pick, Aliyah Boston, who previously played with Clark on a USA Basketball Under-19 team.

“Obviously going to an organization that has, in my eyes, one of the best post players in the entire world,” Clark said. “My point guard eyes just light up at that. And obviously, Aliyah has been one of my teammates before. I’m excited. I can’t wait.”

The Fever taking Clark had been a foregone conclusion since she announced on Feb. 29 she would turn pro. Nearly 17,000 tickets were claimed to watch the draft at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, home to the Fever and the NBA's Indiana Pacers.

Clark has helped bring millions of fans to the women's game with her signature shots from the midcourt logo and passing ability. The NCAA's all-time scoring leader was a big reason why a record 18.9 million viewers tuned in to the national championship game, which Iowa lost to unbeaten South Carolina. The Hawkeyes were also the national runners-up to LSU a year earlier.

AP Photo 

It's been a whirlwind few weeks for Clark. After the title game, she flew to Los Angeles to receive the John R. Wooden Award and then came to New York for an appearance on “Saturday Night Live.”

“I think obviously the course of the last few weeks has been pretty insane in my life, the last two months playing basketball as long as I possibly could in my college career,” Clark said. “I think the biggest thing is I’m just very lucky to be in this moment, and all these opportunities and these things, they’re once in a lifetime.”

Clark, who wore a white Prada jacket and skirt, hugged her parents and brothers and Iowa coach Lisa Bluder after she was drafted.

The draft was held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in front of 1,000 fans, who bought all the tickets within 15 minutes of them going on sale a few months ago.

Los Angeles chose Stanford's Cameron Brink at No. 2. She'll get to stay in California and gives the Sparks a two-way player.

“When they called my name, a huge wave of emotions hit me,” Brink said. “I saw my mom tearing up and my dad and it hit home.”

A prolific scorer, Brink was also the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. The Sparks needed to replace franchise player Nneka Ogwumike, who left for Seattle in free agency. Brink's godmother, Sonya Curry, is the mother of Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry.

“I FaceTimed Steph five minutes before the show started and he said have fun with it,” Brink said. “He can share so much great advice since he’s been through this. Make stuff like this fun as it can be stressed.”

Chicago had the third pick and chose South Carolina's Kamilla Cardoso before the Sparks were on the clock again and and selected Tennessee's Rickea Jackson.

Cardoso had a busy week, helping the Gamecocks win the national championship to complete an undefeated season. She took part in the team's championship parade on Sunday before traveling to New York.

Dallas took Ohio State guard Jacy Sheldon with the fifth pick. Washington drafted Aaliyah Edwards of UConn sixth before Chicago took LSU's Angel Reese at No. 7, pairing her with Cardoso.

“She’s a great player and I’m a great player. Nobody’s going to get no rebounds on us,” the 6-foot-7 Cardoso said, laughing.

Minnesota, which had swapped picks with Chicago, drafted Alissa Pili of Utah eighth.

A pair of French guards, Carla Leite and Leila Lacan, went next to Dallas and Connecticut, respectively.

New York drafted Ole Miss' Marquesha Davis at No. 11 and Atlanta closed out the first round by taking Australian Nyadiew Puoch.

AP Photo 

THE CHAMPS ARE HERE

Two-time defending champion Las Vegas didn't have a first-round pick, but made the most of three second-round choices. The Aces chose Syracuse guard Dyaisha Fair, who finished as the third-leading scorer in NCAA Division I history, with the 16th pick. Two picks later, they chose Iowa's Kate Martin. The team closed out the round drafting Virginia Tech's Elizabeth Kitley, who is recovering from a torn ACL. She's out for the season and showed up on crutches.

HEADING TO PHOENIX

Charisma Osborne was the last of the 15 players invited to the draft to get chosen, going with the first pick of the third round to Phoenix. Osborne, who played at UCLA, said getting chosen so late didn't faze her.

“I was nervous the entire night. My feelings didn't change,” she said. “I heard my name and was so excited. I can't wait to get to work in Phoenix.”

- DOUG FEINBERG

CAITLIN CLARK VS. PAIGE BUEKERS | ESPN

CAITLIN CLARK WINS SECOND CONSECUTIVE NAISMITH AWARD

 Caitlin Clark, who broke the NCAA Division I women's single-season and career scoring records this campaign, won the Naismith National Player of the Year Award for the second consecutive year.

The Iowa senior was honored in a ceremony held Wednesday in Cleveland, where the Hawkeyes will play in the Final Four on Friday.

The other nominees were USC freshman JuJu Watkins, UConn's Paige Bueckers and Stanford's Cameron Brink.

"I think it's been a special year for women's basketball, and also to win this award is really special," Clark said. "But to be back here playing with my team, I couldn't script it any better. ... This (award is just as much my teammates') as it is mine. I'm just very grateful and thankful, and I'll see you all on Friday night."

Clark is averaging 32 points and nine assists per game, both figures leading the nation. She also pulls down 7.3 rebounds per contest.

Her record point totals stand at 1,183 this season and 3,900 for her four-year career.

She is the first women's player to win multiple Naismith awards since UConn's Breanna Stewart captured three straight from 2014-16.

Bueckers, back after missing a season due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament, is contributing 22 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game for the Final Four-bound Huskies. She and UConn will oppose Clark and Iowa on Friday.

Watkins averaged 27.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists, as she broke the Division I freshman record for scoring.

Brink logged 17.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and a nation-best 3.7 blocks per game.

-Field Level Media

CAITLIN CLARK DEFEATS LSU IN ELITE EIGHT | ANGEL.REESE EMOTIONAL AFTER LOSS

12.3 MILLION: IOWA'S VICTORY OVER LSU IS THE MOST-WATCHED WOMEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL GAME ON RECORD

AP Photo 

 Caitlin Clark can claim another record — the most-watched women's college basketball game in history.

Iowa's 94-87 victory over LSU in the Elite Eight of the women's NCAA Tournament on Monday night averaged 12.3 million viewers on ESPN, according to Nielsen. That makes it one of the most-viewed games in any sport other than NFL football over the past year.

Iowa-LSU outdrew all but one of the five games in last year's NBA Finals, along with the clinching game of last year's World Series (11.48 million).

Clark scored 41 points as the Hawkeyes avenged last year’s loss to the Tigers in the national championship game.

The viewership surpassed the 11.84 million who watched the 1983 NCAA championship game between Southern California and Louisiana Tech. LSU coach Kim Mulkey played for Louisiana Tech and was matched up against USC great Cheryl Miller in that game, which the Trojans won 64-58.

It was also the most-watched men’s or women’s college basketball game ever on ESPN, more than doubling the prior largest audience.

According to ESPN, the 2002 women’s national championship game between UConn and Oklahoma had the old mark at 5.68 million. ESPN’s most-watched men’s game was the 2008 regular-season matchup between Duke and North Carolina, which drew 5.61 million.

Only one men's NCAA Tournament game this year had bigger viewership: North Carolina State's win over Duke on Sunday in the men's Elite Eight on CBS averaged 15.1 million.

According to Sports Media Watch, it was the most-viewed basketball game on ESPN since Game 7 of the 2018 Eastern Conference finals, when the Cleveland Cavaliers' victory over the Boston Celtics averaged 13.6 million.

UConn’s 80-73 win over Southern California, which was on after the Iowa game, was the second-most watched college game in ESPN history at 6.7 million. ABC had both regional finals on Sunday, with South Carolina averaging 3.1 million in its win over Oregon State and North Carolina State drawing 2.5 million against Texas.

Clark's four March Madness games on ESPN and ABC have averaged 6.83 million. Iowa will face UConn in Friday's second national semifinal on ESPN. The winner will face either South Carolina or North Carolina State on ABC on Sunday.

The Hawkeyes’ 89-68 win over Colorado in Saturday's regional semifinal averaged 6.9 million viewers on ABC.

Iowa's last five televised games have surpassed 3 million viewers, including the last three that have drawn at least 4.9 million.

The 60 women's tournament games are averaging 1.5 million, a 127% increase over last year.

LSU’s victory over UCLA on Saturday, which preceded the Iowa game, averaged 3.8 million, the second most-watched Sweet 16 game on record.

- JOE REEDY

CAITLIN CLARK SAYS IT'S HARD TO WRAP AROUND BEING CALLED NCAA DIV. 1 TOP SCORER

AP Photo 

 Caitlin Clark broke three major college basketball scoring records in less than three weeks.

Finally, the Iowa superstar can take a breath.

“I’m so focused on helping this team win and be so great, it’s hard to wrap my head around everything going on,” she said. “I’m trying to soak in the moment.”

Clark's dizzying regular season ended Sunday with her passing Pete Maravich as the NCAA Division I overall scoring leader during the sixth-ranked Hawkeyes' 93-83 win over No. 2 Ohio State in Iowa City.

Four days earlier, she took down Lynette Woodard's major college women's scoring record, and two weeks before that she broke Kelsey Plum's Division I record.

Maravich's 54-year-old record was considered the holy grail, and many observers will want to put an asterisk on Clark's accomplishment because Maravich amassed his 3,667 points in 83 games over three seasons at LSU (1967-70) and without having a 3-point line or shot clock.

Clark, who scored 35 points against the Buckeyes and built her reputation on the 3-point shot, will go into the Big Ten Tournament with 3,685 in 130 games.

CAITLIN CLARCK'S 33-POINTS GAME.MOVES HER PAST LYNETTE WOODARD FOR THE MAJOR COLLEGE SCORING RECORD

AP Photo 

 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Caitlin Clark has another career record on her astounding resume: the most points by any major college women's player to ever take the court.

For Hawkeyes coach Lisa Bluder and her peers, this one matters the most.

Iowa's superstar guard scored 33 points to lead the sixth-ranked Hawkeyes to a 108-60 romp of Minnesota, pushing her past Lynette Woodard on the all-time list with 3,650 points.

“Tonight is the night of the real record,” said Bluder, who played for Northern Iowa from 1979-83. “For some reason the NCAA does not want to recognize the basketball that was played prior to 1982, and that’s wrong. We played basketball back then. They just don’t want to recognize it, and that hurts the rest of us who were playing at that time. There’s no reason why that should not be the true record.”

Earlier this month, Clark passed Kelsey Plum (3,527) as the all-time NCAA women’s scoring leader. Woodard totaled 3,649 points from 1977-81 for Kansas when the sport was under the purveyance of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, before the NCAA began sanctioning women’s basketball with the 1981-82 season.

“Maybe the NCAA will realize that now. Maybe it will be brought to their attention, and they will start recognizing those women who played in the ’70s," Bluder said. "Remember, they played with a larger basketball and no 3-point line either."

Clark left little doubt she'd get the record by dribbling left off a screen and swishing a 3-pointer from the top of the key just 13 seconds into the game. She swished her first four 3-pointers, three of them from extra deep, and had 15 points in the first 3:18 of the game.

The heat check came midway through the first quarter, a flick from the top that bounced off the back rim and prompted a half-hearted “Overrated!” chant from a few wise guys in the Minnesota student section.

Clark had 21 points at halftime. She spent most of the second half flashing her passing skills to find open teammates, but finally with 4:17 left she buried her eighth 3-pointer of the game to pass Woodard. She also set the NCAA single-season record for 3-pointers in the process and finished with the 17th triple-double of her career.

Quite a night, even for her.

And Woodard was on her mind.

NO. 6 STANFORD TOPS DUKE 82-79 IN OVERTIME

The Chronicle

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Cameron Brink scored nine of her career-high 29 points in overtime, including a pair of clutch free throws with 11.9 seconds remaining, and No, 6 Stanford held off Duke 82-79 on Sunday.

The reigning two-time Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year added 11 rebounds and six blocked shots to keep the Cardinal (4-0) unbeaten.

Kiki Iriafen had a career 27 points with nine rebounds for Stanford. Hannah Jump added 15 points with five 3-pointers.

Ashlon Jackson made six 3s and scored 22 points for Duke (3-2).

No. 2 IOWA 113, DRAKE 90

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Caitlin Clark had 35 points and 10 assists and Kate Martin had a career-high 25 points as Iowa responded from its first loss of the season, beating Drake.

The Hawkeyes (4-1), coming off a 65-58 loss to Kansas State on Thursday night, scored a program-record 64 points in the first half, shooting 75% in the first quarter and 65% in the first half.

Grace Berg led Drake (3-1) with 19 points.

No. 4 UTAH 117, EASTERN KENTUCKY 72

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alissa Pili scored 28 points, Gianna Kneepkens 23 and Ines Vieira added 20 to help No. 4 Utah beat Eastern Kentucky and win the Great Alaska Shootout championship.

Pili, a native of Anchorage playing in front of dozens of friends and family, made 11 of 18 from the field and finished with eight rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks.

Kneepkens was 8-of-10 shooting, made 5 of 7 from 3-point range and grabbed eight rebounds.

The Utes scored 27 first-quarter points and took a 51-32 lead into halftime.

Antwainette Walker led Eastern Kentucky with 29 points, Raphaela Toussaint scored 12 and Althea Kara Angeles added 11.

No. 11 TEXAS 96, LOUISIANA TECH 44

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Taylor Jones scored 25 points on 12-of-16 shooting and Texas rolled to a win over Louisiana Tech.

Jones and Shaylee Gonzales combined to go 9 of 11 in the first quarter and scored 10 points apiece as the Longhorns raced to a 30-10 lead.

Six different players scored in the second quarter when Texas stretched the lead to 54-19.

Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda scored 12 points off the bench for the Longhorns and Gonzales and Amina Muhammad both had 12. Rori Harmon had eight points, 11 assists, seven rebounds and five steals.

Texas shot 56%, had a 43-20 rebound advantage and turned 29 turnovers into 41 points.

Salma Bates led Tech (2-1) with 13 points.

No. 8 UCONN 62, MINNESOTA 44

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Paige Bueckers had 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists for Connecticut in her hometown, and the Huskies stifled Minnesota’s outside shooters on the way to a victory over the Gophers.

Aaliyah Edwards scored 16 points and nine rebounds to help UConn (3-1) control the paint and conclude a strong week following a 92-81 loss on Nov. 17 to No. 14 North Carolina State.

Bueckers, working her way back from a torn ACL in her left knee that kept her out of the 2022-23 season, shot 4 for 12 from the floor in 31 minutes. When she was subbed out for good in the fourth quarter, Bueckers received a loud cheer from the crowd of 10,689 at Williams Arena about 10 miles east of the suburb, Hopkins, where she was raised.

The Huskies, who beat No. 20 Maryland 80-48 on Thursday, played their second straight game without star guard Azzi Fudd because of a knee injury she suffered in practice on Tuesday.

Mara Braun had 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists for the Gophers (3-1), who went 6 for 34 from 3-point range.

No. 12 FLORIDA STATE 80, SOUTH ALABAMA 45

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Makayla Timpson scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Florida State rolled to a win over South Alabama.

Amaya Bonner added 14 points for the Seminoles (4-0) and O’Mariah Gordon scored 12. Sara Bejedi and Sakyia White added 10 points each. Ta’Niya Latson was just 2-of-16 shooting but she had 11 rebounds as FSU won the boards 60-42 and contributed six assists.

Tyrielle Williams had 11 points to lead the Jaguars (1-3), who shot just 22% (16 for 72).

No. 15 TENNESSEE 100, TROY 73

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Karoline Striplin scored 19 points off the bench, Jillian Hollingshead and Destinee Wells scored 18 each, and Tennessee defeated Troy.

Striplin and Hollingshead had double-doubles, Striplin adding 14 rebounds and Hollingshead with 10 boards. Wells had eight assists.

Sara Puckett had 14 points and Kaiya Wynn scored 10 for the Lady Vols (3-1).

No. 14 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 67, RHODE ISLAND 56

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Saniya Rivers and Aziaha James fueled a 14-2 run over the last 4:14 and North Carolina State pulled out a win over Rhode Island.

The Rams led most of the way but down the stretch Rivers and James combined for 12 points before Zoe Brooks added a layup. Rhode Island was 1 of 9 after Maye Toure’s basket made it 56-63 with 5:17 to go.

Rivers scored 19 points with seven assists and seven steals and James had 17 points. Mimi Collins had 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Wolfpack (4-0) and Brooks scored 10.

Toure led the Rams (3-2) with 19 points and eight rebounds and Teisha Hyman had 12 points and nine boards.

No. 16 MISSISSIPPI 56, ARIZONA 47

NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Marquesha Davis scored 17 points, Madison Scott had a double-double and Mississippi defeated Arizona in the semifinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis.

Down 22-16 after a sluggish first half, the Rebels turned it around in the third quarter, outscoring the Wildcats 25-11. K.K. Deans had a 3-pointer and Davis followed with a 3-point play in the midst of a 13-0 run that turned a 25-18 deficit into a 31-25 lead.

Arizona (4-1) got within 47-44 midway through the fourth quarter but made just one of its last six shots and had five turnovers over the last 5 1/2 minutes.

Deans had 13 points for Ole Miss (4-1) and Scott had 10 points with 11 rebounds.

No. 18 INDIANA 77, LIPSCOMB 44

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Sara Scalia scored 24 points, Mackenzie Holmes added 23 and Indiana ran past Lipscomb.

Scalia made 5 of 7 3-pointers and added six rebounds with five assists. Holmes grabbed nine rebounds. No other player scored more than seven points for the Hoosiers (3-1).

Indiana hit 53% of its shots in the second quarter and outscored Lipscomb 21-6 for a 39-18 halftime lead.

Molly Heard led the Bisons (3-2) with 14 points and eight rebounds.

No. 19 LOUISVILLE 77, BUCKNELL 44

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Sydney Taylor scored 17 points to lead Louisville to a win over Bucknell.

Olivia Cochran added 11 points and eight rebounds for the Cardinals (4-0). Nyla Harris and Eylia Love scored 10 apiece.

Cochran had eight rebounds as Louisville outrebounded Bucknell 40-19 — 15-0 on the offensive end which led to 20 second-chance points. The Cardinals also turned 26 turnovers into 34 points.

Isabella King scored 19 points for the Bison (1-3) and Emma Theodorsson added 11.

No. 20 MARYLAND 83, SYRACUSE 81

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Allie Kubek scored 23 points off the bench, Shyanne Sellers added 19 and Maryland held on for a win over Syracuse.

Alaina Rice hit a 3-pointer for the Orange to make it a two-point game with 23 seconds to go then Kyra Wood forced a turnover with 10 seconds remaining. But Syracuse couldn’t get a look at the basket and Bri McDaniel knocked it away as time expired.

McDaniel had 12 points, five assists and three steals off the bench for the Terrapins (2-2), who lost their previous two games to South Carolina and UConn.

Georgia Woolley scored 21 points with eight rebounds for the Orange (3-1).

No. 21 BAYLOR 81, HARVARD 71

WACO, Texas (AP) — Aijha Blackwell had 16 points to lead five starters in double figures and Baylor defeated Harvard.

Blackwell made 5 of 8 shots with a 3-pointer and 5 of 10 from the free-throw line for the Lady Bears (3-0). Dre’Una Edwards hit two 3-pointers and scored 14. Darianna Littlepage-Buggs and Jada Walker both scored 13 with Littlepage-Buggs adding nine rebounds and Walker adding eight assists. Sarah Andrews scored 11.

Harmoni Turner scored 29 points to lead the Crimson (3-2), who are 2-2 away from home this season. Turner made 9 of 26 shots with three 3-pointers, adding seven rebounds and five assists. Lola Mullaney sank five of her 12 shots from distance, scoring 19 with four steals. Elena Rodriguez scored 11 on 5-for-7 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds.

No. 22 CREIGHTON 79, NEBRASKA 74

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Morgan Maly had 14 of her 23 points in the first quarter, Emma Ronsiek scored 21 and Creighton held off Nebraska.

Maly sank all four of her 3-point attempts in the first period and Creighton (3-1) grabbed a 28-23 lead. Maly had 18 points by halftime and Ronsieke scored 11 to send the Bluejays into the locker room with a 47-40 lead.

Creighton led by nine entering the final period, but Darian White made two free throws to pull the Cornhuskers (3-1) within 72-69 with 3:36 remaining. Lauren Jensen answered with a layup and the Bluejays maintained a two-possession lead from there.

No. 24 WASHINGTON STATE 81, PRAIRIE VIEW 43

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (AP) — Charlisse Leger-Walker scored 13 of her 17 points in the first half, Astera Tuhina added 13 points and three steals and Washington State beat Prairie View.

Washington State (5-0) is off to its best start since the 2016-17 team, which later lost nine consecutive games during Pac-12 play and finished 14-16 overall, won its first five games.

Bella Murekatete scored 10 points and grabbed nine rebounds and Beyonce Bea added 10 points and eight rebounds for WSU. The Cougars made 32 of 64 from the field, scored 22 points off 22 Prairie View (3-2) turnovers and outscored the Panthers 16-4 in second-chance points.

Ryann Payne, the only PVAMU player to score in double figures, finished with 14 points.

No. 25 OKLAHOMA 82, VIRGINIA 67

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Skylar Vann scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds and Payton Verhulst hit three 3-pointers to spark a decisive second quarter as Oklahoma rolled past Virginia.

The unbeaten Sooners (5-0) took a 24-18 lead after one quarter, then broke it open by outscoring the Cavaliers 20-9 to take a 44-27 halftime lead. Virginia went scoreless for six minutes in the second quarter.

Verhulst hit from distance to open the second quarter and knocked down her second a minute later to put Oklahoma up 32-20. Kaydan Lawson answered with a 3 for Virginia but the Cavaliers were scoreless until Lawton converted a layup with 2:05 left to make it 42-25.

Camryn Taylor led Virginia (3-1) with 17 points, grabbed six rebounds and had a pair of steals.