For once, it was not who bailed out with immense implications. Instead, it was junior guard
Sydney Affolter, Clark's teammate, who took the most important shot of the night to help the Hawkeyes advance over West
Virginia. With 2:14 remaining in the fourth quarter and the score knotted up at 52, Mountaineers guard JJ Quinerly shot a 3-pointer which was deflected by Gabbie Marshall. With the ball loose, Affolter corralled the ball and methodically dribbled the ball past half court, surveying the defense and where her teammates were. However, one area Affolter did not look at was to her left, where Clark had her hands raised high, signaling she was wide open the second she made it over half-court. As Clark continued to walk to the 3-point line, hands held high, Affolter made her move, spinning off a defender as she drove into the paint. With her left hand, Affolter calmly hit the layup all while West Virginia's Kyah Watson was called for the defensive foul. The Hawkeyes guard then sank the free throw to give Iowa a 55-52 lead with 2:03 remaining in the game. After Affolter's bold play, Iowa would go on a 9-2 run to seal the game and end West Virginia's season, saving their own season for one more game. Affolter finished the contest with 13 points on 4-of-6
shooting from the field, 5-of-5 from the free throw line, with seven rebounds and two assists, along with arguably the biggest shot of the game. "Syd did the right thing," Clark said after the game, as per . "She's just so crafty around the rim and she played her heart out tonight. That's what she's done since she's got the starting role." Clark finished the game with 32 points on 8-of-22 shooting, 5 of 14 from 3-point land, along with eight rebounds, three assists and two steals. Despite leading all scorers and with the expectation of being the one with with the game on the line, Clark had nothing but great things to say about Affolter taking the game in her hands at a crucial point in the game. "She's gritty," Clark continued to reporters. "She's not afraid of the moment. She's tough. And she gets that and-one for us. I'm just happy for her. She deserves it. She's worked so hard and never really got a lot of playing time. She was playing behind some really good players and now this is her moment and she rises to the occasion." All the latest news, showbiz, lifestyle and sports updates, brought to you by our dedicated
American team. to make sure you're not missing out. For her part, Affolter had supreme confidence in her ability to make the big play, especially as the Mountaineers and the crowd on hand were expecting Clark to have the ball in her hands in a crucial situation. "I saw the opportunity. I knew I was taking that to the hole," Affolter explained. Affolter had only been Iowa's starting guard for less than a month when Molly Davis went . Though the extent of Davis' injury had not been disclosed and it is not considered season-ending, the starter had not seen any game action since March 3. With Iowa set to take on
Colorado in the Sweet 16, all eyes will be on what sort of magic Clark will pull out of her bag as she tries to lead the Hawkeyes back to the national championship game. However, if Iowa needs a clutch bucket, the Hawkeyes know Affolter can deliver when the stakes are highest... even if it means ignoring the biggest women's college
basketball player when said player is wide open at the 3-point line.