Caitlin Clark is excited to make her U.S. national team debut next week when the Americans play in the FIBA World Cup qualifier in Puerto Rico. It will be Clark’s first game play in about eight months since a multitude of injuries derailed her WNBA season with the Indiana Fever in July. It’s been quite a road back for Clark who played in 13 games last season. She had groin injuries and then a bone bruise in her left ankle. She’s been in the gym getting ready, working with the Fever medical team and player developmental staff over the last few months.
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Luka Doncic scored 44 points in the first three quarters of the Los Angeles Lakers' 128-117 victory over the Indiana Pacers without LeBron James. Doncic hit seven 3-pointers on a 14-for-25 shooting night and grabbed nine rebounds before sitting out the fourth for the Lakers, who rebounded from a road loss to Denver on Thursday and won for the fourth time in five games overall. James sat out to rest his accumulation of minor injuries in his 23rd NBA season. Pascal Siakam scored 26 points and Andrew Nembhard had 17 for the Pacers, who have lost eight straight since the All-Star break, including five consecutive blowout defeats.
Miami of Ohio has finished the regular season as the only unbeaten team in Division I men’s basketball. The RedHawks beat Ohio 110-108 in overtime Friday night to run their record to 31-0. For Miami, Peter Suder scored five of his 13 points in overtime. Eian Elmer led the way with a career-high 32 points along with 12 rebounds. Trey Perry added 21 points and Brant Byers scored 15 for the RedHawks. Jackson Paveletzke led Ohio with a career-high 37 points, but he missed two shots in the final 5 seconds that could have given the Bobcats the lead.
Ava Heiden scored 16 points and Hannah Stuelke finished with 13 points and five rebounds despite playing with an injured right elbow, leading No. 9 Iowa past 10th-seeded Illinois 64-58 and into Saturday’s Big Ten Tournament semifinals. The Hawkeyes have won seven straight and need two more wins to capture their fifth conference tourney crown in eight years. Jasmine Brown-Haggard finished with 22 points and Berry Wallace added 11 points as the conference’s youngest team played its third game in three nights. The Fighting Illini fell behind by double digits early and couldn't back within single digits until the final minute.
Joyce Edwards scored 21 points, Madina Okot added 12 points and 13 rebounds and No. 3 South Carolina routed 17th-ranked Kentucky 87-64 in the first of four Southeastern Conference Tournament quarterfinal games. Tessa Johnson added 15 points and Ta’Niya Latson 12 for the top-seeded Gamecocks, who raced to a 17-point halftime lead. South Carolina looked focused as it began its quest for a fourth straight SEC Tournament title and 10th in the past 12 seasons under coach Dawn Staley, shooting 53% from the field, forcing 19 turnovers and outscoring Kentucky 46-24 in the paint. Amelia Hassett had 15 points and Clara Strack scored 13 for Kentucky.
Tajianna Roberts scored 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting, Mackenly Randolph had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and No. 12 Louisville beat Syracuse 87-61 in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament. Second-seeded Louisville (26-6) plays No. 3 seed and 16th-ranked North Carolina in the semifinals Saturday. Reyna Scott had 15 points, Skylar Jones scored 12 and Imari Berry and Laura Ziegler each added 11. No. 7 seed Syracuse (23-8) announced before the game that Dominique Darius — who averages 12.6 points and has a team-high 106 assists this season — would miss the rest of the tournament due to a hand injury suffered in Orange’s 70-59 win over California in the second round. Uche Izoje had 22 points and nine rebounds for the Orange.
Ohio State senior point guard Bruce Thornton needs 12 points against Indiana on Saturday to become the Buckeyes’ career scoring leader. That achievement would be memorable in any era but is unique nowadays. He came to Ohio State as a four-star recruit in a top-10 signing class for former coach Chris Holtmann in 2022, but Holtmann was fired before the end of the 2023-24 season, three players transferred out and Brice Sensabaugh is in his third season in the NBA. Dennis Hopson set the Ohio State career scoring record in 1987, passing Herb Williams late in his senior season to finish with 2,096 points.
Big Ten Player of the Year Lauren Betts had 26 points and eight rebounds and Kiki Rice added 18 points and six assists to help No. 2 UCLA overcome a sluggish start and beat Washington 78-60 in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. UCLA faces No. 11 Ohio State in Saturday’s first semifinal. The regular-season champion Bruins won their 23rd consecutive game to tie a school record as they try to win their second straight Big Ten tourney crown. Avery Howell finished with 18 points to lead the Huskies, who had a two-game winning streak snapped.
Elsa Lemmila had 17 points and 11 rebounds, Jaloni Cambridge also scored 17, and No. 11 Ohio State beat No. 19 Minnesota 60-55 in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament. Fourth-seeded Ohio State (26-6) plays No. 1 seed and second-ranked UCLA in the semifinals Saturday. Cambridge added six assists, five rebounds and three steals. Chance Gray hit three 3-pointers and finished with 13 points. Mara Braun hit a 3-pointer that cut Minnesota’s deficit to 58-55 with 1:32 left in the game. Neither team scored again until Cambridge made a jumper with 16 seconds left that capped the scoring. Grace Grocholski led No. 5 seed Minnesota (22-9) with 18 points and Sophie Hart added 12 points and a career-high 19 rebounds
Hannah Hidalgo scored 25 points, Iyana Moore added 17 points, nine rebounds and three steals, and No. 5 seed Notre Dame beat fourth-seeded N.C. State 81-63 in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament. Notre Dame (22-9), which has won seven in a row and nine of 10, plays top-seeded Duke in the semifinals Saturday. Hildalgo, who also had five rebounds and five assists, has scored at least 25 points in six consecutive games. Cassandre Prosper scored 13 points for the Irish. N.C. State (20-10) had its three-game win streak snapped. Khamil Pierre had 17 points and 14 rebounds — her 21st double-double this season — for the Wolfpack. Moore hit a 3-pointer 48 seconds into the game and Notre Dame led the rest of the way.