Maryland controlled the road to the women’s Big Ten Tournament title for seven straight seasons. Five times, the Terrapins claimed the top prize and their only losses came in title games.
This week, their dominance could end.
Five teams arrived in Indianapolis this week with top 15 rankings, hopes of hosting NCAA Tournament games and a realistic shot of winning the league’s most wide-open tourney in years.
“This is when you want to play your best basketball,” Iowa star Caitlin Clark said after Sunday’s crucial victory over then-No. 6 Michigan. “And we’re playing our best basketball.”
Clark makes anything possible.
A year ago, she led the Hawkeyes to a surprise runner-up finish at the conference tourney, falling only to Maryland in the championship game. This year, with No. 12 Iowa’s titles hopes teetering, she helped the Hawkeyes rally with four four straight wins to earn a share of the regular-season crown and the No. 2 seed.
