IN PHOTOS: $3.1 million NIL-Valued Caitlin Clark shows off Reverse Bruce Lee Kobe 5's worth $400 in Iowa's first-round win over Holy Cross
It was business as usual for Iowa star Caitlin Clark as she led the Hawkeyes to a comfortable 91-65 win over the Holy Cross Crusaders in their NCAA Tournament first-round clash on Saturday.
She registered a double-double of 27 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists on 42.1% shooting from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc in the much-anticipated game.
The popular $3.1 million NIL-valued Hawkeyes star (as per On3) chose to wear the Reverse Bruce Lee Kobe 5's worth $400 for the game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Caitlin Clark bemoans Hawkeyes' slow start
The Iowa Hawkeyes and Caitlin Clark had not played for two weeks after their 94-89 overtime win against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Big Ten Tournament championship game, and it showed against the Holy Cross Crusaders.
The opening quarter was sloppy by Hawkeyes' standards, giving away six turnovers, which were then converted into seven points by the Crusaders. They only led by two points after the first quarter.
Clark also started out cold in the first half, going 2 of 8 from the field, including six turnovers. She even got an earful from her father, Brent Clark, for complaining to officials excessively.
During her postgame news conference, the record-breaking Caitlin Clark bemoaned the sloppy nature of the start of the game.
“I think the first quarter kind of frustrated maybe all of us in a way,” Clark said. “I feel like this is a game you want to come out and dominate from the start because this is what fuels your run. Like coach (Lisa Bluder) said, I think maybe we played with a little bit of rust.”
Iowa showed why it's the top offensive team in the country by going on a 25-9 run in the second quarter, completely blowing Holy Cross out of the water. The lead stood at 18 points at halftime.
The Hawkeyes' ability to switch it on at any time makes them a dangerous opponent for any team. Clark went 6 of 11 from the field, adding three rebounds, three assists and three steals to her efforts in the second half.
Clark highlighted her team's ability to go on such runs as one of their best aspects.
"It was definitely a little clunky at times," Clark said. "The first quarter, for sure. But the best thing is we responded in the second quarter and were able to get a significant lead. You saw how fast we were able to go on a run. That's one of the most dangerous things about our team: We can really put up some offensive numbers in a short amount of time."
Next up for Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes is a clash against the No. 8 seed West Virginia Mountaineers, who beat the No. 9 seeded Princeton Tigers 63-53 in their first-round clash.