Hear from Caitlin Clark, Taylor McCabe and Lisa Bluder after Iowa’s big win over FGCU
Hear from Caitlin Clark, Taylor McCabe and Lisa Bluder after Iowa’s big win over FGCU.
ESTERO, Fla. — In the semifinal of the Gulf Coast Showcase, No. 6 Iowa (6-1) put on a show, dominating the game against FGCU and securing a spot in the championship game.
The big win marked the 500th victory for Iowa coach Lisa Bluder and resulted in a school record of 20 treys, in front of a record crowd of 4,257.
“I thought our group was really locked in defensively,” said Iowa guard Caitlin Clark, who finished with 21 points, six rebounds and six assists in just 26 minutes. “There were a lot of adjustments we made because they’re a really, really great 3-point shooting team. And we knew that coming in.”
With an impressive defensive effort, Iowa turned the game into a laugher, limiting FGCU’s offensive opportunities and forcing them into a prolonged scoring drought.
Throughout the game, Iowa’s depth from the bench was on full display, with multiple players contributing to the win. “That felt so good,” said Taylor McCabe, who delivered a career-high 18 points on 6-for-7 shooting from deep. “I like to think my confidence isn’t going away even if I miss a couple shots. Coaches always tell me that numbers don’t lie, and the next one’s going in. I know my teammates and coaches have confidence in me.”
“It’s day-to-day. I do not know what’s going to happen,” Bluder said regarding Stuelke’s status. “She’s just been doing treatments, and you never know how fast somebody is going to come back from that. We’ve got excellent medical care, and she’s getting the best that she can.”
“We know we didn’t play our best basketball a week ago, and that’s what is exciting about this,” Clark said. “We get another shot to show who we are.”
