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Caitlin Clark’s 41-point Final Four: The numbers behind her historic game

Caitlin Clark returns for her senior year after being named National Player of the Year as a junior. (Ben Solomon/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

Caitlin Clark’s 41-point performance in the National semifinals put everyone, once again, on notice.

It had Sabrina Ionescu tweeting a goat emoji at her, while Candace Parker summed up what most people were feeling.

Clark is an anomaly, be it through scoring or assisting on the majority of the Hawkeyes’ points. But if you ask her, she wouldn’t be able to do what she’s doing without her teammates.

“I think the biggest thing is knowing how much my teammates trust me,” she said. “I was given the ball in kind of the biggest moments of the game on the biggest stage, but also at the same time, my teammates really came through and played huge minutes.”

Just Women’s Sports is breaking down the historic performance, by the numbers.

41:

Clark’s 41 points were the most in national semifinal history, helping lead Iowa to its first title game in program history. It also marked back-to-back 40-point games – which has also never been done before in NCAA tournament history.

“She doesn’t really surprise me anymore, but I was worried about her getting tired out there,” said head coach Lisa Bluder. “I think she’s the most phenomenal basketball player in America.

“In so many regards, not only scoring, but passing the ball, handling the ball. She had the ball in her hands almost all the time tonight against some pretty good defensive players.”

18:

In the fourth quarter, Clark scored or assisted on all 18 of Iowa’s points. It continues a trend of Clark being the orchestrator of the Iowa offense, having scored or assisted on 64 percent of Iowa’s points through their run in the NCAA tournament.

“The way she’s grown as a teammate and a leader on this team has been really special,” said teammate Monika Czinano. “She really fits into our family atmosphere. She always has.”

161:

In total, Clark has 161 points and 52 points in the NCAA tournament, one of six times that a player has had at least 150 points and 50 assists through any five-game span.

The remaining five instances also belong to Clark.

1,000:

Midway through the game, Clark became just the sixth player in D-I women’s basketball to score 1,000 points in a single season. She also became the first to have 1,000 points and 300 assists.

235:

Between the NCAA and Big Ten tournaments, Clark has scored 235 total points. It marks more points than the Iowa football team scored all season (230).

82:

With her performance, Clark had 82 points and 20 assists in Iowa’s last two wins. It marks the only time that a player has averaged 40 points and 10 assists per game over a two-game span in the history of the NCAA tournament – men’s or women’s.

Colombia Tops Argentina in Penalty Shootout to Reach Women’s Copa América Final

Colombia players celebrate their penalty shootout win over Argentina in the 2025 Copa América semifinals.
Colombia will face either Brazil or Uruguay in Saturday's Copa América final. (Franklin Jacome/Getty Images)

World No. 18 Colombia secured their spot in the 2025 Copa América final on Monday night, when Las Cafeteras bested No. 32 Argentina in a penalty shootout to take the first of the continental tournament's two semifinals.

Despite dominating in both possession and attacking opportunities, Colombia failed to break through in regulation time, ending the Copa semifinal in a 0-0 stalemate.

However, the 2022 runners-up showed confidence from the spot, securing the victory with a narrow 5-4 penalty differential after six shootout rounds.

"We are finalists and we qualified for the Olympics in Los Angeles, that was our objective," said Colombia goalkeeper Katherine Tapia after the win. "We are prepared for the Final."

With Colombia hunting a first-ever Copa title in their fourth trip to the tournament's finale, they will either face underdog No. 63 Uruguay or reigning champions No. 4 Brazil in Saturday's 2025 title match.

Should Brazil soccer legend Marta and the rest of her team continue their run to a fifth straight — and ninth overall — Conmebol trophy, Colombia would find themselves facing As Canarinhas for a competition record-tying fourth time in the Copa América final.

On the other hand, a Uruguay semifinal victory over Brazil would set up the first-ever Copa América finale to not feature the continental powerhouse.

How to watch Brazil vs. Uruguay in the Copa América semifinal

Defending champ Brazil will take on Uruguay in the second Copa América semifinal at 8 PM ET on Tuesday, as each team aims for a spot against Colombia in Saturday's 5 PM ET tournament final.

Tuesday's semifinal will air live on FS1.

Talons Win First-Ever AUSL Championship in 2025 Series Sweep

Former University of Alabama star pitcher Montana Fouts returned to Rhoads Stadium for the first time as a professional, pitching for the Talons of the Athletes United Softball League as they played the Volts.
The Talons swept the Bandits 2-0 in the best-of-three series this weekend. (Gary Cosby Jr./USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

The Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) crowned its inaugural champion on Sunday, with the No. 1-seed Talons lifting the first-ever AUSL trophy after sweeping the No. 2-seed Bandits in the weekend's 2025 Championship Series.

Battling inclement weather all weekend, the Talons finished out Saturday's rain-delayed Game 1 to a 3-1 win early Sunday morning, before avoiding a winner-take-all Game 3 by claiming the AUSL title in a narrow 1-0 second victory on Sunday afternoon.

AUSL Pitcher of the Year Georgina Corrick and former Alabama ace Montana Fouts held the powerful Bandits offense at bay throughout the two wins, while infielder Sydney Romero — a former two-time NCAA champion at Oklahoma — secured the Talons' title with a Game 2 sixth-inning home run.

Former University of Alabama star pitcher Montana Fouts returned to Rhoads Stadium for the first time as a professional, pitching for the Talons of the Athletes United Softball League as they played the Volts.
Former University of Alabama star pitcher Montana Fouts led the Talons to the first-ever AUSL title. (Gary Cosby Jr./USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

"I wouldn't have wanted to do this anywhere else, with anybody else," Fouts said after the championship win. "I feel like we really are family. That's what makes this so special. Obviously, winning is awesome, but I just feel like whenever you step on the field with people like this, you've already won." 

In addition to the Talons' 2025 championship trophy, AUSL at-large garnered plenty of success throughout its debut season, selling out 14 of the first 29 games while averaging 117,000 viewers per game on ESPN2 — a 65% increase over the 2024 Athletes Unlimited format.

That boost saw the broadcaster upgrade the final series from ESPN2 to ESPN.

"It's really been, in some ways, eye-opening," AUSL commissioner Kim Ng told Sports Business Journal earlier this month. "I don't think that any of us thought that we would get this type of reception. But everyone here is so incredibly excited."

Ogunbowale, Bueckers Fuel Dallas Wings Upset Win Over New York Liberty

New York Liberty guard Rebekah Gardner tries to defend Dallas Wings star Arike Ogunbowale during a 2025 WNBA game.
Dallas guards Arike Ogunbowale and Paige Bueckers combined for 40 points in Monday's win. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

The No. 11 Dallas Wings put on a show on Monday, handing the No. 2 New York Liberty their second straight loss behind a combined 40 points from star guards Paige Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale.

Rocketing to a season-best 63-36 first-half lead, Dallas held off the reigning WNBA champions' fourth-quarter surge to secure the 92-82 upset win — the Wings' eighth victory of the year.

Ogunbowale tallied 14 assists in the win, becoming to first WNBA player to ever record 20+ points and 14+ assists in a single game while committing less than two turnovers.

While the WNBA standings remained relatively stable, Dallas's upswing brought further frustration for the Liberty, as they continue to struggle to keep all five starters healthy at the same time.

While previously injured center Jonquel Jones is back in the mix, New York missed 2023 MVP Breanna Stewart on Monday, with the star forward sidelined after suffering a blow to the leg during Saturday play.

"Just understanding the urgency we need to play with, understanding nobody feels bad for us down some people, we have to come out with a little more purpose," guard Sabrina Ionescu told reporters after Monday's loss.

How to watch the Dallas Wings and New York Liberty this week

New York's next trek is significantly steeper, as the Liberty take on the league-leading Minnesota Lynx at 8 PM ET on Wednesday. A rematch of the 2024 WNBA Finals, the clash will air live on ESPN.

Dallas will be in action at the exact same time, when the Wings will hunt a ninth season win against the No. 4 Atlanta Dream, airing live on ESPN3.

LA Sparks Star Cameron Brink Eyes Return from Injury in Tuesday WNBA Slate

LA Sparks star Cameron Brink claps in celebration of a play during a 2024 WNBA game.
Sparks star Cameron Brink has been sidelined with an ACL injury since June 2024. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Second-year LA Sparks forward Cameron Brink is gearing up to make her long-awaited return on Tuesday night, stepping back on the WNBA court after missing more than a year of action due to a June 2024 ACL tear.

Brink's return couldn't come at a better time for LA, as the Sparks continue to take serious aim at a postseason run after rattling off five wins in a row.

The 2024 No. 2 overall draftee will likely be on a minutes restriction as she works her way back into full-game fitness, with the Sparks easing her in during their Tuesday matchup against Las Vegas.

"It means the world," Brink told the Long Beach Press Telegram about her WNBA return earlier this week. "I'm just very excited, very humbled by this experience. It's no easy thing to come back from."

Brink's comeback will close out a trio of WNBA games on Tuesday:

  • No. 9 Golden State Valkyries vs. No. 4 Atlanta Dream, 7:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): After a hot start, the Valkyries slid into a free-fall, leaving Golden State hoping to improve on their 2-6 July record against a gelling Dream side.
  • No. 12 Chicago Sky vs. No. 8 Washington Mystics, 7:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The young Mystics are currently clinging onto the final playoff spot, with a chance to push ahead against the injury-ridden Sky.
  • No. 7 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 10 Los Angeles Sparks, 10 PM ET (NBA TV): The Sparks are the shiniest team in the WNBA right now, but they'll have their work cut out against an Aces team desperate to bust out of the mid-table doldrums.

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