No. 3 Iowa vs No. 8 Virginia Tech | 2023 Aly Tipoff | 11.9.23

WBA Headquarters | / womensbasketballalliance
CHARLOTTE, NC -The fifth ranked-versus-ranked matchup of the opening week in women’s college basketball did not disappoint. Caitlin Clark and Georgia Amoore traded 3-pointers, Elizabeth Kitley had a double-double, and Iowa’s cast of supporting players asserted themselves in the paint.
By Mitchell Northam | USA Today Sports
When the dust settled, No. 3 Iowa topped No. 8 Virginia Tech 80-76 in front of an announced crowd of 15,196 fans at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Clark scored 44 points as the Ally Tipoff lived up to the hype.
Despite the defeat, Virginia Tech was extremely complimentary of the electric atmosphere in Charlotte.
“It was absolutely unreal, for our second game in November… It’s what you dream of when you come to college,” Amoore said. “To be put on the spotlight in an NBA arena with a great opponent, that’s just what you can dream of.”
Hokies coach Kenny Brooks added: “I’ve been in this arena before when Steph Curry was in here and it wasn’t this loud.”
An early season matchup like this between two teams that played in the Final Four last spring can tell us quite a bit about where they’re going and what sort of expectations we should have for these squads going forward.
Here’s what we learned about the Hawkeyes and the Hokies:
Caitlin Clark is ridiculous.
This was really the difference in the game: one team had Clark and the other did not.
Clark’s performance marked the ninth time in her career that she’s scored at least 44 points in a single game, and the first time she had hit that mark since last season’s Final Four win over South Carolina. She shot just 1-of-7 from 3-point range in the first half, but found more success from deep range after halftime, shooting 4-of-9.
“She is a generational talent. She’s got the length, she’s got the speed, she’s literally been gifted by every single God you can imagine. She’s insane,” Amoore said of Clark. “You can say, ‘let’s double-team,’ but she’s so smart that she can pick you apart.”
Clark also had eight rebounds and six assists. Perhaps most impressive is that the reigning consensus National Player of the Year only had one turnover in 40 minutes of play. And she also drew 16 fouls.
“You’re playing a generational player. We’re going to watch this young lady play for a very long time,” Brooks said. “I love my girls, but sometimes, you’re playing checkers and she’s playing chess. She’s that good.”
Enjoy Clark while she’s here, college basketball fans. Everything about her game indicates that she’ll likely be a top-three pick in the WNBA Draft this spring, if she chooses to enter.
Georgia Amoore’s rise continues
The Australian senior - who was the ACC Tournament MVP and the Most Outstanding Player at the Seattle 3 Regional last season - was more than up for a duel with Clark and restated her case as one of the nation’s top scoring guards.
Iowa jumped out to a 13-4 lead to start the game, but Virginia Tech ended the first quarter on top, closing the opening period with a 14-2 run. And much of it was fueled by Amoore, who scored 11 of those points and swished a half-court buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the quarter - proving to Clark and anyone else that, yes, she can shoot from the logo too.
“I had to come out and, from the get-go, carrying off the season I had last year - I knew it was in me. I knew I was capable,” Amoore said. “So, I’m trying to start off like that this year and be a leader, scoring-wise, and still trying to facilitate for my teammates.”
Amoore’s exceptional play continued throughout the game as she finished with 31 points on 7-of-14 shooting from 3-point range and three assists.
“In the fourth quarter, it got exciting. We were trading 3’s and it felt like that’s really what both teams are about is really great offense, can shoot the ball really well,” Clark said. “And Georgia is one of the best guards in the country. I think that’s pretty obvious.”
Iowa’s lack of size didn’t seem to matter.
The tallest player in Iowa’s starting lineup was 6-foot-2 Hannah Stuleke. Off the bench, the Hawkeyes also utilized 6-foot-3 Sharon Goodman, but - on-paper, anyways - it didn’t look like Iowa would have a real answer for All-American and two-time ACC Player of the Year Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech’s fifth-year 6-foot-6 center.
And yet, Kitley was held in-check while Iowa had its way under the basket.
Iowa outscored Virginia Tech 42-20 in the paint and won the rebounding battle 47-40. Kitley had 16 rebounds and 16 points for the Hokies, but shot just 7-of-16 from the floor. Sydney Affolter, a 5-foot-11 guard for the Hawkeyes, led Iowa with a career-high 14 rebounds in 26 minutes off the bench.
It’s a good thing that Iowa found success inside the arc, because the Hawkeyes often struggled behind it, shooting just 1-of-14 from 3-point land in the first half and just 23.1% for the game.

[@wonderlandian8465]

Caitlin Clark vs Georgia Amoore lived up to the hype! BALLERS! 🔥🔥🔥

[@pierretampa]

Once Gabby Marshall gets going Iowa will be unstoppable. Iowa has to keep Hanna S on the court. I think Iowa would of been better if they started Hanna S at power forward, and started Goodwin or O'Grady at center. Hanna S needs to be on floor 30 plus minutes.

[@martinhouser3419]

TWO GREAT TEAMS!!@@ WHAT A GAME🌞🏀⚡🔥⚡🔥👍👍👍

[@user-sy7cv9rn8j]

Iowa needs better guard play, so many wrong decisions sometimes. 09:08 - Marshall open with Hannah there to prevent Kittley, Martin didn´t pass and gets an offensive foul instead. 10:02. Martin, rotate and give Affolter the pass option for the open 3 please! And then Goodman was wide open and Affolter tried to shoot instead with a double team and Kitley there... Left side was open, Clark should have hit backdoor cut, instead possession backs down to Martin, ending with her getting an offensive foul 12:25 - Decides to baseline drive instead of hitting Goodman with and entry pass. At least it ended well with the Clark fadeway.

[@duckhunter1200]

What a way to start the season😤

[@beardownbitches4074]

21:10 even the injured girl in the boot was jumping 😂

[@skyk1247]

Outside of Kitley, why doesn't VT try driving more and taking midrange shots ? Its either inside to kitley or die by the three .

[@geronimocruz9123]

Don't sleep on Wetzel only a freshman

[@camilasilvaalves6319]

I would rather watch Clark´s passing highlights than her shooting TBH. And not trying to hate but, the supporting cast needs to hit their shots more so Clark doesn´t need to shoot so much. You will not win against Uconn, South Carolina or LSU with her shooting 40% on 31 attempts, if she´s gonna shoot that much it needs to be 60% or more

[@joshuawilliams2443]

you say that but she and Iowa beat SC 🤷‍♂️ and yes she she shot 30% but she scored 44 points! who do you know that does that and she had 8 assists....i know you said you aint trying to hate but lol

[@mariettedorobis6967]

Bro everyone has off days. LSU and UConn both also didn’t shoot well in their games this week

[@shamarial0ng]

She’s a scoring point guard like Curry

[@camilasilvaalves6319]

@@shamarial0ng yes and no, because she is a complete passing PG: Cross Court, bounce pass, outlet, etc. When her teamates are open is such a shame when they dont score on perfect passes

[@camilasilvaalves6319]

@@joshuawilliams2443 I´m just being realistic, just because it happened once, it may not happen again. LSU proved that, every mistake South Carolina made in that game, they didn´t allow her to do the same things with them, even with the scoring and 30+ shots.

[@martinhouser3419]

Caitlin's Drives 🏀🏀🏀> ARE > 🌟❄🌠 POETRY in MOTION🌠❄🌟

[@alfredoleza6955]

Caitlin Clark plays 40min damn that chick is fit

[@weiner1414]

Thanks for sharing! Love Canada!

[@martinhouser3419]

❤🧡🖤 Caitlin Clark >> The Beast Unleashed 🏀🏀‼

[@johane.turbib.8108]

Very intense

[@martinhouser3419]

💥 Caitlin & Amoore 💥 US Olympic Dream Team 2024 ❤🧡❤🏆🏆🏆

[@olonbeige]

Amoore is Australian

[@martinhouser3419]

😅I can Dream it "P @@olonbeige

[@user-mw7jm5uz8g]

That's true.

[@jjohnson3203]

Meacheaux got benched and never came back. Not sure why Brooks brought her in. Prob thought she could be a T Soule type. She had the body but not the game.

[@casslynn1165]

I agree, to me it looked like the effort wasn't there... She wasn't getting back on defense which led to Iowa getting an easy bucket, wasn't setting good screens, fighting for rebounds. All the little things that made T Soule so valuable to this team. Luckily it led to Wenzel getting more minutes and show what she can do, I would start her next game.

[@BrandonByrd-zn1jz]

Bro y'all have to realize this was the first game of the season and even Kenny Brooks said that the light didn't click on for Soule until they got into conference play after loosing to Miami maybe Rose getting benched lit a little fire in her because she has been playing a lil bit more aggressively past couple of games 🤷🤷

[@martinhouser3419]

♥🖤🧡 22 🧡🖤❤

[@kiwicowgirl3110]

Go the Hawkeyes!!!!

[@martinhouser3419]

We're watching the Finals already and the Top 2 >3 Point Shooters 🏀🏀💯💫‼

[@waldolydecker8118]

lol, get real...neither of these teams will be in the finals, nor even the Final Four...especially VA Tech

[@BrandonByrd-zn1jz]

​@@waldolydecker8118that's what all y'all haters were saying last year y'all kept saying they didn't even deserve the number one seed 😂😂

[@waldolydecker8118]

@@BrandonByrd-zn1jz - you are the original hater - check your history books - assuming they haven't been white-washed, lol. Last year was a fluke that periodically happens in all of sports - look up Super Bowl III or the 1969 World Series to educate yourself on flukes. Flukes happen when teams perform relatively under the radar or they aren't taken seriously...that's when surprises can happen. This year there is no "under the radar." Iowa has been the lead story, with lots of media attention, promotion, and (overly) high ranking. Even when they lose to an unranked team, they only go down a few positions. Iowa won't fool anybody this year. Many teams and players recognize the exaggerated promotion and rankings and will be looking to put them in their place - like Kansas State just did. Luckily, Iowa has the weakest schedule of all the top teams, so they shouldn't lose much playing the weakest competition. When they get to the tournament, however, and start playing better teams away from their home court, the season will come to an abrupt end.

[@skyk1247]

Kitley needed more touches, after the 1st courter, she didn't score until the fourth.

[@KelzKelz]

That's how Lsu came back in the final 4 too.

[@BrandonByrd-zn1jz]

Bro I don't know what they were thinking if they would have used Kitley more like they usually do Iowa would have stood a chance inside 😔😔

[@brycematthew3115]

These refs callled EVERYTHING. Both sides, if 2 players touch there's going to be a foul lol.

[@beardownbitches4074]

1st half was nothing but fouls man lol

[@martinhouser3419]

ClarkEconomic's ‼😂 lol ...How many Billionaires will be Bidding on Her for their City's WNBA Team !!