UConn guard Paige Bueckers, left, is fouled by Jackson State guard Miya Crump, right, in the first half of a first-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament, Saturday, March 23, 2024, in Storrs, Conn. Iowa guard Caitlin Clark reacts during the fourth quarter of an Elite Eight round college basketball game against LSU during the NCAA Tournament, Monday, April 1, 2024, in Albany, N.Y.
Weaknesses: This is the weakest defensive team left, even when you account for Iowa’s fast pace. The Hawkeyes are 22nd in the country in defensive rating. They’ll be trying to win in spite of that, counting on simply outscoring their opponents more than shutting them down.Iowa’s offense, and that came on a night the Hawkeyes shot 5 of 22 from 3-point range. Clark had only three assists in that game.
In This Tournament: UConn has held all four opponents under 34% from the field. The Huskies finally got to the line a good amountStrengths: The Wolfpack have the fourth-lowest foul rate in the nation, although given South Carolina’s spotty free throw shooting, that might not be much of an advantage for their semifinal. N.C. State has also done a good job on the defensive boards, which could be a more important asset.