As Iowa star Caitlin Clark hit a shot heard around the world on Tuesday night, South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley lamented the refereeing that got her there.
“Heckava shot but give the game ball to the ref for the shooting foul call,” Staley wrote on social media.
While some thought she was referring to the idea that Clark didn’t get the ball off in time, it was a questionable 3-point shooting foul that allowed Molly Davis to sink two free throws and give Iowa a 73-71 lead.
Heckava shot but give the game ball to the ref for the shooting foul call. 🤷🏽♀️🤷🏽♀️🤷🏽♀️
— dawnstaley (@dawnstaley) January 3, 2024
Michigan State’s DeeDee Hagemann was able to tie the game at 73, but those two points inevitably made a difference in the outcome.
Davis, for her part, joked about missing one of the free throws on purpose.
“I missed the first [free throw] on purpose so Caitlin could hit the game-winner,” she said.