The NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament held press conferences, open locker room interviews, and open practices ahead of a First Round game between No. 1 Iowa and No. 16 Holy Cross at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Friday.
After winning a Big Ten Championship title and holding an overall season record of 29-4, the Hawkeyes are ranked a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament. Last season, Iowa placed second in the tournament, falling to LSU. This year, the team looks to make it to the championship game and win an NCAA Tournament title.
Iowa guard Gabbie Marshall spoke about Caitlin Clark’s national attention, saying Clark handles it in incredible ways while still showing up for the team.
“I would just say obviously she has a lot of attention on her all the time and that can bring a lot of pressure, but I think she handles it better than anyone I’ve ever met,” Marshall said. “…I think she just comes in every day, every practice, and just — you can just tell how much she loves her teammates and how much she loves her coaches and how much she just loves the game.”
Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder gave an update on Molly Davis, who sustained an injury during a game against Ohio State on March 3.
“I haven’t seen Molly today,” Bluder said. “I don’t anticipate her playing on Saturday, but if we can get to Monday, we can get some time from her.”
The Hawkeyes and the Crusaders face off Saturday at 2:00 p.m. CT.
