Holly Cross’ Bronagh Power-Cassidy was called for an intentional foul in Saturday’s NCAA tournament game for elbowing Iowa star Caitlin Clark in the face, but both players said after the game it was accidental and Power-Cassidy apologized.

Here’s what they said after match:

Caitlin Clark draws intentional foul after Holy Cross star hits her in face at NCAA Tournament

Iowa star Caitlin Clark drew an intentional foul in the second quarter of Saturday’s NCAA Tournament game against Holy Cross, with opposing guard Bronagh Power-Cassidy hitting her in the face as she tried to run into the lane off the ball.

Clark stayed on the ground for several moments after the contact.

In NCAA women’s basketball, intentional fouls give a team two free throws and the ball. While ABC’s announcing team suggested Power-Cassidy was simply making a basketball play, the referees disagreed when assessing it through a video review.

Clark was not seriously injured and returned to take the free throws awarded because of the intentional foul.

While the top-seeded Hawkeyes came out of the gates slowly in their March Madness opener, they finished the second quarter with a flurry in front of a home crowd.

Entering the game, there was only mutual respect between teams, with Holy Cross head coach Maureen Magarity joking that her daughter loves Clark so much that she provided the Crusaders with a scouting report.

And Power-Cassidy, the Holy Cross player who bowled over Clark, gushed over the Hawkeyes guard in a pregame press conference.

“She’s the face of college basketball – men’s and women’s right now,” Power-Cassidy told reporters.

“It’s huge, and as a female basketball player, I just have so much respect for her and what’s she’s done for the sport.”

Power-Cassidy was her team’s best player in the early going. The Crusaders trailed by just two after the first quarter thanks to Power-Cassidy’s long-range shooting. She scored 17 first-half points with four made 3-pointers.

However, Iowa leaned on its NCAA Tournament experience to build an 18-point lead entering the intermission.

The Hawkeyes are battled-tested, having made the national championship game last season and thriving through a grueling Big Ten schedule this year. They recently won the Big Ten Tournament title.

Clark, of course, is the engine that led Iowa to a No. 1 seed. She’s now the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer. But she’s also an adept passer and rebounder, influencing the game even when her shot doesn’t fall.

That said, Clark has capable teammates who have provided essential offensive balance. Forward Hannah Stuelke scored 47 points in a game earlier this season, and Kate Martin scored 12.9 points per game on 38.6 percent 3-point shooting.

With Clark departing for the WNBA after the NCAA Tournament, Stuelke figures to be the go-to player of the future for Iowa.

But she’s also eager to show that she’s a sufficient main complement to Clark right now as Iowa moves beyond Holy Cross and into more difficult stages of March Madness. As long as Stuelke continues what she’s done for much of the season, Clark will be pleased with her work.

HOT NEWS:  CAITLIN CLARK’S GLAMOROUS DAY OUT FROM ITALY SENDS POSITIVE VIBES ACROSS THE CBB WORLD: “YOU GIRLS ARE GORGEOUS”

Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes have been spending some quality time in the Italian city of Naples. The Hawkeyes are in town for their foreign tour, which sees the Iowa women’s basketball team play three games against local clubs.

On Sunday, Iowa played its first game against the Naples-based basketball team, The Slammers, winning the game 116-46. The Hawkeyes will now travel to Croatia for their next two games.

While Caitlin Clark and Co. await departure from Italy, the team decided to spend a few more days exploring the beautiful city of Naples.

Before their first game, Clark and her teammates shared pictures on their social media as they visited monuments and took an interest in the Italian tradition.

On Monday, Clark shared a post with teammates Kylie Feuerbach, Sydney Affolter, Jada Gyamfi and Taylor McCabe from Amalfi Coast in southern Italy.

Fans adored the 2023 AP Player of the Year and her Hawkeyes teammates, pouring wholesome comments on her Instagram post. She’s been updating her fans through her Instagram stories since the day the Hawkeyes left for their foreign tour.

One fan wrote:

“Go Hawkeyes, You girls are gorgeous”

While Caitlin Clark and the team enjoy their time in Naples, their game plan and preparation for the next season are going as well. The Hawkeyes had a fantastic first game of their international tour as the players, under the watchful eyes of coach Lisa Bluder, got rid of some on-court rust.

While Caitlin Clark and the team enjoy their time in Naples, their game plan and preparation for the next season are going as well. The Hawkeyes had a fantastic first game of their international tour as the players, under the watchful eyes of coach Lisa Bluder, got rid of some on-court rust.

Caitlin Clark is back like she never left

The first game against The Slammers was a one-sided competition. The Hawkeyes prevailed 116-46, winning by a 70-point margin.

Clark was the top scorer and finished with 17 points, five rebounds and seven assists while shooting 40% from beyond the arc and making 45% of her field goals. Apart from that, six other Hawkeyes finished the game with double digits.

Iowa will now look forward to playing the Croatian club KK Tresnjevka 2009 on Aug. 11.

The Hawkeyes, recovering from a championship game loss, will look to win it all the next season. The Angel Reese-led LSU Tigers got the best of Caitlin Clark and Iowa in April, but the Hawkeyes have a great chance of winning the national title next year.

Caitlin Clark has received a lot of praise from fans, critics, and coaches. Recently, Clark met Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin in Italy, and the two admired each other’s personalities.

Being the projected number-one pick of the 2024 WNBA draft, Clark has maintained the top position against other competitors. As she enters her senior year, it will be interesting to see whether Clark performs like she always has and, better, lead her team to a national title.

HOT NEWS:  CAITLIN CLARK HIT IN FACE, INTENTIONAL FOUL CALLED | NCAA TOURNAMENT, IOWA HAWKEYES VS HOLY CROSS

Caitlin Clark HIT In FACE, Intentional Foul Called | NCAA Tournament, Iowa Hawkeyes vs Holy Cross.

Watch the video below!

Caitlin Clark draws intentional foul after Holy Cross star hits her in face at NCAA Tournament

Referees at Iowa’s first-round NCAA Tournament matchup against Holy Cross deemed a knock to Caitlin Clark’s face to be worthy of an intentional foul call after a video review

Iowa star Caitlin Clark drew an intentional foul in the second quarter of Saturday’s NCAA Tournament game against Holy Cross, with opposing guard Bronagh Power-Cassidy hitting her in the face as she tried to run into the lane off the ball. Clark stayed on the ground for several moments after the contact.

In NCAA women’s basketball, intentional fouls give a team two free throws and the ball. While ABC’s announcing team suggested Power-Cassidy was simply making a basketball play, the referees disagreed when assessing it through a video review.

Clark was not seriously injured and returned to take the free throws awarded because of the intentional foul. While the top-seeded Hawkeyes came out of the gates slowly in their March Madness opener, they finished the second quarter with a flurry in front of a home crowd.

Entering the game, there was only mutual respect between teams, with Holy Cross head coach Maureen Magarity joking that her daughter loves Clark so much that she provided the Crusaders with a scouting report.

And Power-Cassidy, the Holy Cross player who bowled over Clark, gushed over the Hawkeyes guard in a pregame press conference. “She’s the face of college basketball – men’s and women’s right now,” Power-Cassidy told reporters. “It’s huge, and as a female basketball player, I just have so much respect for her and what’s she’s done for the sport.”

Power-Cassidy was her team’s best player in the early going. The Crusaders trailed by just two after the first quarter thanks to Power-Cassidy’s long-range shooting. She scored 17 first-half points with four made 3-pointers.

However, Iowa leaned on its NCAA Tournament experience to build an 18-point lead entering the intermission. The Hawkeyes are battled-tested, having made the national championship game last season and thriving through a grueling Big Ten schedule this year. They recently won the Big Ten Tournament title.

Clark, of course, is the engine that led Iowa to a No. 1 seed. She’s now the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer. But she’s also an adept passer and rebounder, influencing the game even when her shot doesn’t fall.

That said, Clark has capable teammates who have provided essential offensive balance. Forward Hannah Stuelke scored 47 points in a game earlier this season, and Kate Martin scored 12.9 points per game on 38.6 percent 3-point shooting.

With Clark departing for the WNBA after the NCAA Tournament, Stuelke figures to be the go-to player of the future for Iowa.

But she’s also eager to show that she’s a sufficient main complement to Clark right now as Iowa moves beyond Holy Cross and into more difficult stages of March Madness. As long as Stuelke continues what she’s done for much of the season, Clark will be pleased with her work.