Connecticut Huskies (Women) vs. Iowa Hawkeyes (Women): Preview, Where to Watch and Betting Odds

Having gotten their revenge for last year’s championship loss by defeating the Tigers in their regional final, Caitlin Clark and her Iowa Hawkeyes face off against No. 3 seed UConn Huskies in the women’s March Madness Final Four. Paige Bueckers continues to win at the arduous task of dragging a team that lost five players to the latter stages of the NCAA tournament. That UConn is still here is a sign of their pedigree, multiple national championships, coach Geno Auriemma, a third Final Four for Bueckers, and the 23rd Final Four for the program. Against the Hawkeyes, the Huskies face their toughest task this year, and this sentiment is reflected in the odds that Clark and her Iowa women will be favorites ahead of the clash in Cleveland this weekend.

Basketball: NCAA 2024 Women’s Final Four

Where to Watch: ESPN

Venue: Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, Cleveland, Ohio

Date: 06.04.2024 06:30

Geno Auriemma has managed UConn’s depleted team very well, playing with six players for over two months. The Huskies are on a 13-game winning streak but seriously lack depth. Aaliyah Edwards has assisted Paige Bueckers in the scoring, but against the Hawkeyes, others may need to step up to the rim. The Huskies played great defense to restrict the All-American freshman in their Elite Eight win over JuJu Watkins and USC. Last year, Bueckers was out with an injury. This year, she is fit and playing her best. The UConn star has scored over 20 points in seven consecutive games, and with her 1.5 blocks and 3.3 steals per game stat, she is a match for Clark and her Huskies.

Now I’m here with my teammates and coaching staff and going to the Final Four. It’s been a very rewarding journey. I’m super, super grateful for it all. The tough times made me who I am. It’s built my faith. It’s built my appreciation for life and gratitude for anything thrown my way.

Paige Bueckers

Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes put away last year’s disappointment with a definitive 94-87 victory over LSU. Clark scored 41 points to become the leading scorer in the NCAA (men and women). The star also broke the Division I record for 3-pointers. Iowa lost to UConn in the regional semis in 2021 with then-freshmen Clark and Bueckers involved. This Final Four game presents another opportunity for Clark, now a Senior, to clean the slate as she draws down a brilliant NCAA career.

I think our coaching staff had to deal with an enormous amount of things this year that we never had to deal with before. I’m really proud of our staff.

Geno Auriemma

UConn is a 2.25 underdog on Bet365, which prices the Hawkeyes at 1.66 odds to progress to the final. Total over 162.5 is 1.9 odds on Betwinner with the under available at 1.9 too. Iowa to win by more than six points is 2.2 odds on 1XBET, with the same prop for UConn priced at 3.4 odds. Read more.