No. 2 Iowa women’s basketball looked the part, handily beating the visiting Wisconsin Badgers in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
The Hawkeyes (18-1, 7-0 Big Ten) dominated 96-50with Caitlin Clark making history by passing Brittney Griner for fourth on the NCAA women’s basketball’s all-time scoring list.
Iowa is without starter Hannah Stuelke tonight because of a lower-body injury, but it didn’t matter as the team excelled on both sides of the court.
Re-live all the highlights and the best moments from the game below in our live blog:
GAME STORY:No. 2 Iowa women’s basketball topples Wisconsin for 29th straight time
FINAL: Iowa 96, Wisconsin 50
After a physical and close first quarter, Iowa dominated every facet of the game en route to winning the final three quarters 77-35.
All but one of the 12 Hawkeyes who played scored, and the team shot 47.5% from the field and made 15 triples for the second straight game.
Defensively, Iowa was also staunch with 17 steals, forcing 28 turnovers and holding Wisconsin to 31.5% shooting.
Q4/4:20 Iowa 86, Wisconsin 46
Wisconsin’s point guard, Porter, fouled out of the game.
Her absences appeared to affect the Badgers throughout, particularly with their passing as they’ve committed 24 turnovers so far.
Iowa has taken advantage of those extra opportunities, particularly by finding open shooters in transition. The Hawkeyes are 15-of-33 from behind the arc, tying a season-high in made 3s.
Clark went to the bench, likely for the final time, with 32 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals.
End 3: Iowa 76, Wisconsin 44
This game is going so well for the Hawkeyes that, as the clock was winding down, Clark whipped a pass to Martin on a fast break, it hit her in the face and bounced directly to a cutting Affolter for a last-second layup.
Iowa not only made up a lot of ground in rebounding battle (27-27) that quarter, but the team’s passing has been a strength. Nineteen of the Hawkeyes’ 22 made shots have come from an assist, and they’ve committed just 10 turnovers.
Q3/1:17 Iowa 72, Wisconsin 44
Porter, Wisconsin’s point guard, has missed most of the frame after picking up her fourth foul.
The Badgers have been led all night by Williams, who has controlled the paint with 19 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks.
Still, Clark’s 47th 30-point game of her career has led the hot-shooting Hawkeyes to another big second-half lead. Martin (16 points, four 3s) and Sydney Affolter (10 points off the bench) have also been key.
Q3/4:33 Iowa 59, Wisconsin 42
Clark made three straight triples to open the second half, thwarting a revitalized Badgers squad that looks determined to keep fighting. She is up to 28 points on 6-for-12 shooting from deep.
Both teams have scored at a high clip to start the third quarter, with Iowa winning the frame 13-12 thus far.
End 2: Iowa 56, Wisconsin 30
Iowa won the turnover battle 15-7, Martin tallied 11 points and Clark has 19 points, largely due to an 8-for-8 performance at the free throw line. That total is already tied for her most free throw attempts in a game since Nov. 24.
Iowa is 8-of-17 from 3, while Wisconsin has made just three triples and is shooting 37.9% from the field overall. Williams was the lone Badger to present a consistent threat, notching 15 points through physical inside play to take advantage of Iowa’s zone defense.
Q2/0:43 Iowa 46, Wisconsin 28
Whereas both teams looked choppy in the first quarter, Iowa quickly recaptured its run-and-gun identity in the second frame.
Prolific perimeter shooting, running in transition and forcing Wisconsin to play out of its element has the Hawkeyes in firm control.
Q2/4:06 Iowa 34, Wisconsin 19
Even more drastically than in the team’s last game against Indiana, Iowa’s ability to force turnovers (13 for Wisconsin already) has kept the opposition incapable of keeping up with the team’s fast-paced offense.
The Hawkeyes opened the quarter on a 15-2 run.
Q2/6:07 Iowa 29, Wisconsin 17
A 10-2 Iowa run, capped by a logo 3-pointer from Clark, forced Wisconsin to call a timeout.
The extremely physical play style of this first half led to ugly stretches from both sides, but the Hawkeyes’ long-range shooting (5-of-10) has been the separator.
Clark is up to 14 points, three rebounds and two assists.
Caitlin Clark passes Brittney Griner
After two early free throws and a hard foul that sent Clark back to the line shaking her left arm, Clark passed Brittney Griner for fourth on the NCAA women’s basketball all-time scoring list (3,283).
The No. 3 all-time scorer is Missouri State’s Jackie Stiles (3,393), whom Clark is likely to pass in her next few games.
End 1: Iowa 19, Wisconsin 15
Kate Martin is 2-for-2 from behind the arc, which kept the cold-shooting Hawkeye offense afloat before Clark got going.
Clark began the game 0-for-4 shooting before making her last two attempts. She enters the second quarter just three points from becoming the NCAA’s No. 4 all-time women’s basketball scorer.
Both sides are also playing sloppy with 12 combined turnovers.
Caitlin Clark threads the needle
Getting the highlights started early, Clark executed a behind-the-back bounce pass in between two Badger defenders to hit a rolling Addison O’Grady for a layup.
Q1/5:03 Iowa 9, Wisconsin 11
The Badgers jumped out to a 6-0 lead before Molly Davis, as she did last game with a career-high 18 points, broke the ice for the Hawkeyes.
Iowa then went on a 7-0 run to take a lead before consecutive triples by Wisconsin.
8:00- Starters announced
Iowa: Caitlin Clark, Gabbie Marshall, Molly Davis, Kate Martin, Sharon Goodman
Wison's: Serah Williams, Sania Copeland, Ronnie Porter, Natalie Leuzinger, Brooke Schramek
7:55- Caitlin Clark closing in on top-4 NCAA scoring list
Clark enters Saturday’s contest with 3,274 career points, ranking fifth on the NCAA women’s basketball’s all-time scoring list. Just nine points behind Baylor legend Brittney Griner, Clark will likely vault the WNBA 2013 first overall pick tonight.
Gus Martin is a Digital Producer/Content Director for The Des Moines Register. Follow him on X at @GusMartin_DMR.
