Hawks & Huskies: PK Legacy Championship

It’s time for a winner to be decided in Portland today. The Phil Knight Legacy Tournament will crown a champion and the matchup is between two, top-ten squads. The No. 9 Iowa Hawkeyes give off showmanship games whereas the No. 3 UConn Huskies have an impeccable starting lineup that continues to be one of the best in the nation. One team has to take home the hardware and one has to go home empty-handed.

The Huskies look a lot different from their last meeting against the Hawkeyes. Only two Huskies that are currently on Geno Auriemma’s roster played in their Sweet Sixteen matchup in 2021. Aaliyah Edwards got her fourth career start in the matchup at the Alamodome. Aubrey Griffin came off the bench for the Huskies.

The Hawkeyes return the same starting lineup that lost by twenty to the Huskies almost two years ago. It was Caitlin Clark who led the Hawkeyes in the 92-72 loss that cemented a continued struggle in the NCAA Tournament. The matchup was poised to be the battle of the freshmen superstars; Clark versus Paige Bueckers. Even though those two did well in their individual programs, Edwards was another star freshman who had an impact in that game.

Edwards became a starter for the Huskies a game prior to meeting Iowa when Nika Mühl got injured in their first-round game. On the court with Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Edwards was one of the top scorers in the NCAA tournament. When the announcement came that UConn would face Iowa, the Huskies turned on the jets. Edwards was productive at the start. she complied 18 points, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks, steals, and assists. She is the perfect matchup for Iowa’s Monica Czinano and will be able to face guard Czinano when she’s out of the post. 

Bueckers had a great game against the Hawkeyes. Her sportsmanship and skills showed she was the National Player of the year. She also scored 18 points to match Edwards and added 9 rebounds and 8 assists. Bueckers and Edwards were tough to beat.

The game could not have been won without Evina Westbrook and Christyn Williams. Westbrook had to major three pointers early in the game and finished 17 points. That was not all Westbrook contributed. She also dished out 10 assists and 9 rebounds, so close to a triple-double. Williams led both teams with 27 points. As one of the leaders of that year’s team, Williams was completely focused on the task at hand. There was absolutely no answer for Edwards and Williams.

Caitlin Clark was no match for the Huskies but was able to keep her team in the game. Clark scored 21 points, 5 assists, 2 steals, and a block. She struggled with turnovers and flopping in order to earn trips to the foul line. Clark was 4-21 from range, which is not an uncommon stat line for her. This season, she is averaging 27 points per game and leads the team in assists. Unfortunately, she leads her teams in turnovers which hurts the team in close games.

The Hawkeyes only start one true forward and that’s Monica Czinano. She is a strong center and can score when the Hawkeyes send her the ball. This is her fifth year under Lisa Bluder and Iowa is extremely lucky Czinano did not enter the transfer portal. She is currently averaging 18.8 points per game and 7 rebounds per game. There have not been many double-doubles in her career.

Another Hawkeye to watch is McKenna Warnock. She is listed as a guard/forward but truly hangs on the wing. In a low-scoring season, Warnock is only averaging 10 points per game. She can hit from long range but is more of a paint scorer. She scored 20 against the Huskies and played a tough defensive position against Edwards.

This is a new Huskies roster the Hawkeyes have to face. Not only is Edwards having an outstanding season, but Aubrey Griffin is also as well in her comeback after back surgery. It is the sophomore Azzi Fudd who has taken over this squad to a four-game winning streak. She is averaging 26 points per game and is second on the team with assists. Fudd has already surpassed the 100-point mark in those 4 games. She is also a sneaky, quick defender and has 10 steals for far this season.

Lou Lopez Sénéchal will keep the Hawkeyes on their toes. The combo graduate student from France has melded well to this advanced Huskies roster. She averages 18 points per game and is shooting 46% from long range. Sénéchal had her career-high 23 points in a Husky uniform Friday night against Duke.

The game will be controlled by the pace junior Nika Mühl brings to this top-ten matchup. Mühl leads the nation with 10.3 assists per game and resets the UConn program record last weekend. She is one of the annoying defenders, in a good way, for guard-heavy opponents. Mühl is also not afraid to take in taller defenders in the post or hit the reverse layup. She did not play against Iowa in their last and only meeting.

Probable Matchups

Nika Mühl & Gabby Marshall

Nika Mühl & Caitlin Clark

Azzi Fudd & Caitlin Clark

Lou Lopez Sénéchal & Kate Martin

Lou Lopez Sénéchal & McKenna Warnock

Aubrey Griffin & McKenna Warnock

Aaliyah Edwards & Monica Czinano