Caitlin Clark puts Iowa in Sweet 16 - 'Wasn't going to let us lose again'

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Caitlin Clark said it ran through her mind that Iowa had been here before.

Almost a year ago to the day, the No. 2-seeded Hawkeyes were upset at home by a 10-seed in the women's NCAA tournament.

On Sunday, again before a sold-out crowd at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa was in the same spot: No. 2 vs. No. 10, close game late. With a two-point lead and the ball in her hands with less than a minute left, Clark had one goal.

«I wasn't going to let us lose again,» Clark said. «I knew I could go get us a bucket. Definitely, there's pressure… but you wouldn't want it any other way.»

Clark scored and the Hawkeyes held on for a 74-66 win over Georgia, sending Iowa to the Sweet 16 in the Seattle 4 Regional, where the Hawkeyes will face the winner of Monday's matchup between Duke and Colorado.

It will be the second Sweet 16 appearance for Clark; the Hawkeyes also got that far her freshman season in 2021, when they lost to UConn. Last year, 10th-seeded Creighton beat Iowa 64-62 in the second round en route to the Elite Eight.

That disappointment was a topic the Hawkeyes didn't avoid going into Sunday. Clark recalled that she missed a contested layup with 8 seconds left in that game, one that would have given Iowa a one-point lead.

Against a tough Georgia defense on Sunday, she finished with 22 points and 12 assists, becoming the only women's player to have back-to-back NCAA tournament games of at least 20 points and 10 assists, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

During one stretch Sunday, Clark scored or assisted on 27 consecutive points. She has scored or assisted on 57.99% of her team's points in the Hawkeyes' two tournament wins so far.

Her last basket came as she dribbled time off the clock and then