Caitlin Clark sports Bruce Lee Kobe 5’s in 41-point performance in LSU vs Iowa thriller
Caitlin Clark and Iowa waited a year to get their revenge on Angel Reese and LSU after losing the NCAA women’s championship. After the Hawkeyes dumped Colorado 89-68 and the Tiger dispatched Middle Tennessee, the stage was set for the most highly-anticipated showdown in women’s college basketball. Hoop fans trooped to the MVP Arena in Albany, New York to witness a titanic struggle between the rival superstars and their respective teams.
Unsurprisingly, all eyes were on Clark and Reese leading into the game. Clark, who was the national player of the year last year, is expected to repeat by season's end. Reese, though, had the hardware the Hawkeyes’ superstar wanted.
Basketball fans quickly noted during warmups that Caitlin Clark wore something that stood out in her gear. Instead of the white and black colors of Iowa, she had on yellow, black and red footwear. Clark chose to wear the Kobe 5 Protro “Bruce Lee.”
The iconic martial artist’s colors quickly caught fire with the release of “Enter the Dragon” in 1973. Nike soon dressed some of its most famous shoes with the same lively cover. One of those that got the special treatment was the late Kobe Bryant’s signature sneaker.
One can easily argue that Caitlin Clark hyped herself up for the rematch with her team’s tormentors last year. She wore a pair of shoes named after one of basketball history’s fiercest competitors. Bruce Lee’s iconic colors only emphasized the kind of mindset she had for the showdown with the Tigers.
Caitlin Clark accomplished what she set out to do
Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes couldn’t be denied in the rematch with Angel Reese and the LSU Tigers. The end-to-end action started right off the bat in the rematch. Both teams traded runs but finished the first half tied at 45.
The third quarter was when Clark showed off his incredible shooting range. She had four triples, each one increasingly farther away from the last one. The last one, which gave the Hawkeyes a 61-52 advantage, was from the logo. Clark had the crowd in the arena wild with her long-range bombs.
The defending champs, however, refused to quit. Behind Angel Reese, who played through a sprained ankle, tried to close the gap a handful of times. Caitlin Clark’s timely shots and playmaking were just momentum-busters on Monday night. She eventually finished with 41 points that were laced with nine 3-pointers to go with 12 assists, seven rebounds, two steals and one block.
If Clark wanted to make a statement with her shoes early on, she certainly put an exclamation point to it with her performance.