The refs marred a tremendous ladies’s NCAA championship recreation for LSU-Iowa

The Iowa Hawkeyes and LSU Tigers appeared to be set for an prompt basic within the nationwide championship recreation of the 2023 ladies’s NCAA basketball match. The sport was performed with unbelievable depth from the opening tip, with the superstars on either side placing up superb performances and bench gamers like Jasmine Carson having fun with a nationwide popping out occasion on the game’s largest stage.

LSU defeated Iowa, 102-85, to earn its first nationwide championship in program historical past. It was an amazing recreation that ought to have been even higher. As an alternative of speaking about Caitlin Clark’s world-class shot-making or Angel Reese’s monstrous rebounding, most followers had been speaking in regards to the refs after the sport.

The refs referred to as 37 fouls all through the sport, a brand new file for any recreation within the ladies’s NCAA match, with lots of the greatest gamers on either side battling foul hassle and lacking worthwhile recreation time due to it. Clark — the singular star of school basketball — was whistled for a ridiculous technical foul on the finish of the third quarter, whereas LSU head coach Kim Mulkey berated the officers with out penalty.

Clark was referred to as for a technical foul for tossing the ball behind her again after a foul name on a teammate:

Technical fouls additionally rely as private fouls, and this one was Clark’s fourth. Iowa pulled her out of the sport after it occurred, however the Hawkeyes additionally had different issues. Co-stars Monika Czinano and McKenna Warnock additionally had 4 fouls into the fourth quarter, with Czinano finally fouling out.

Whereas the refs took the game’s largest star off the ground due to a foolish foul name, the LSU coach Mulkey walked all around the court docket all through the sport and by no means acquired a technical. At one level, Mulkey even made bodily contact with an official with no penalty.

Everybody was in disbelief that Mulkey didn’t earn a T:

The refs additionally referred to as a horrible foul on LSU’s Angel Reese within the first half. Reese was referred to as for 3 fouls within the first half and needed to be cautious the remainder of the sport.

This recreation broke the file for essentially the most fouls in a championship by 10 fouls. Ten!

Whereas the refs ruined the move of the sport, LSU was enjoying at such a excessive degree that it could not have mattered. The Tigers set a file for essentially the most factors scored in a nationwide title recreation, and had been on fireplace capturing from the sphere all through the sport.

LSU shot 11-of-17 from three-point vary, and 54.3 p.c from the sphere. Carson scored a team-high 22 factors off the bench, whereas Alexis Morris had 21 factors. Reese, LSU’s largest star, had 15 factors, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and three steals in an incredible all-around efficiency.

Reese was taunting Clark all through the sport. Clark had been doing the “I can’t really feel my face” transfer all through March Insanity, and Reese gave it proper again to her:

Whereas the LSU gamers had been enjoyable to root for and likable, not everyone seems to be blissful to see Mulkey get one other championship ring.

The ladies’s NCAA basketball match was superior. However please, refs, let the gamers play, and don’t let the coaches stroll throughout you.