Iowa
Iowa advances in Big Ten Tournament despite Caitlin Clark’s uncharacteristic slow start
MINNEAPOLIS — It won’t be long before Caitlin Clark’s collegiate career will be at stake every time she takes the court.
One off night could spell the death of a dream, her last chance to give Iowa its first national championship.
If the Hawkeyes are to return to the title game, even Clark needs help.
The Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals doubled as an unthinkable nightmare for Division I’s all-time leading scorer, as Clark missed her first 11 3-point attempts.
Still, No. 3 Iowa cruised to a 95-62 win over Penn State at the Target Center on Friday night despite Clark’s uncharacteristically cold shooting and third-lowest scoring output of the season (24 points).
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen her miss 11 3s in a row, and that could probably include practice and everything else,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “It’s funny, Caitlin has an off night, and how many people would say you have an off night when you have 24 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists? … I’m just so glad that her teammates picked up the slack in that area. It just gives us so much more confidence moving forward.”
Clark’s frustration was palpable — she didn’t make her first field goal until midway through the second quarter and didn’t hit a 3-pointer until the fourth quarter — but also quickly pushed aside, allowing the nation’s leader in assists to facilitate with full-court, cross-court and behind-the-back darts.
Her teammates hit a combined 13 3-pointers, with four scoring in double figures.
Clark made 5 of 19 field goals (2-for-14 3-pointers) and 12 of 13 free throws.
“Sometimes it’s hard to get up there and shoot the next one, but honestly, maybe that’s my poison sometimes, I’m just going to launch it,” Clark said. “I was going to make one before the buzzer hit zero, even if it took 20 of them.
“This is one game. I take hundreds of thousands of shots. It doesn’t really matter. … We won by 30 points. I didn’t shoot the 3-ball that well, but I did so many other things that impacted my team.”
Hours after No. 4 Ohio State was stunned by Maryland, Iowa (27-4) never had reason to sweat.
Before Clark took her first shot, the Hawkeyes led 10-0.
She was the only Iowa starter without a field goal in the first quarter, which ended with Iowa up 18.
Clark remained confident, asking for the ball whenever a defender dropped an inch. She remained engaged, defensively and from the bench.
When she finally hit her first 3-pointer, on her 12th attempt, she laughed, jokingly asking for props from the black-and-gold crowd, who erupted with a standing ovation for the star who can do wrong, who amid her struggles still passed Stephen Curry for the NCAA single-season 3-point record (164).
“I was trolling and messing around when I made that,” Clark said. “You’ve got to have some fun. I thought our team had a lot of fun tonight.”
At her worst, the final result couldn’t have been much better.
The Jacksons are more than just Michael.
How much rain does Des Moines get? See the 5 wettest days on record
Wondering how the rainfall total compares? Here are the five wettest days on record for Des Moines, Iowa.
Drought conditions in Iowa improved for a second consecutive week, though areas of moderate drought expanded in parts of the state.
The U.S. Drought Monitor offers a state-by-state tracking of drought conditions nationwide. New maps and forecasts are released each Thursday. What are the current drought conditions in Iowa?
U.S. Drought Monitor map: How much of Iowa is in a drought?
The latest Drought Monitor report, released on Thursday, June 18, showed about 46% of Iowa experiencing some form of drought. This continues the streak of conditions improving week to week in Iowa. The previous report, released on June 11, showed that 63% of the state was experiencing some form of drought.
The most recent report reflects conditions as of 8 a.m. June 16, right as storms were sweeping through Iowa, with parts of eastern Iowa seeing more than 2 inches of rainfall. Light rainfall on June 17 led to areas like Iowa City and Burlington reporting around an inch of rain.
Here is the breakdown of current drought conditions in Iowa:
- 61% of the state of Iowa is experiencing no drought conditions
- 39% of Iowa is experiencing abnormally dry conditions
- 7% of Iowa is experiencing moderate drought conditions
- 0% of Iowa is experiencing severe drought conditions
Even though drought conditions have improved overall in Iowa, the area experiencing moderate drought increased from the week of June 11, particularly in northern Iowa. Much of Cerro Gordo, Hancock and Kossuth counties are under D1 conditions, with nearby Palo Alto, Winnebago, Floyd and Mitchell also in moderate drought.
Pockets of moderate drought also persist along the northwest edge of Iowa in Lyon, Sioux and Plymouth counties. In eastern Iowa, Jackson, Clinton and Scott counties saw their moderate drought status ease week to week.
Most of the U.S. is facing drought conditions
About 73% of the U.S. is experiencing some level of drought, a 2-percentage-point improvement from the prior week. Some of the most intense drought conditions are in the southeast and the mountain west.
Iowa Drought Monitor tracks conditions weekly
The U.S. Drought Monitor offers a state-by-state tracking of drought conditions nationwide. New maps and forecasts are released each Thursday.
The intensity levels range from abnormally dry, or D0, to exceptional drought, or D4.
Typically with D0 conditions, corn can show drought stress. Pond levels start to decline under moderate drought conditions and soybeans abort pods, according to the Drought Monitor. The Drought Monitor also has a look-back chart that compares drought conditions from 3 months ago up to 1 year ago.
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
Confirmed tornadoes were reported in Illinois and Iowa Wednesday night as severe weather descended on a large swath of the Midwest.
According to the National Weather Service, a confirmed tornado was reported near the small northeast Iowa community of Harpers Ferry at 5:10 p.m., while a second confirmed tornado rolled through Charleston in central Illinois at about 6:40 p.m. local time.
Both tornadoes were flagged by the weather service as a “particularly dangerous situation,” a rare designation used by the weather service for environments in which “strong and violent tornadoes” are possible.
Photos and videos obtained by CBS News showed extensive damage in Charleston, with downed trees and power lines. Hail that measured 2.75 inches was also reported in the Charleston area, according to the weather service.
“There are a large number of trees blocking roadways throughout Charleston at this time,” Charleston police said in a Facebook post. “Unless it is an absolute emergency, do not drive or attempt to go anywhere.”
The city of Charleston later declared a local state of emergency.
One cell phone video captured the terrifying moments what appeared to be a large tornado tore through Effingham, Illinois, located about 40 miles southwest of Charleston.
Larry Thies, coordinator for the Effingham Emergency Management Agency, told CBS News that initial information indicated damaged buildings, trailers, and downed power lines and trees. He said officials were working to set up an emergency operations center, but were facing challenges because internet was down in the area.
The extent of the damage to region was still unclear. There was no immediate word of injuries or fatalities. CBS News senior meteorologist Rob Marciano said there were at least seven reported tornadoes during the weather event.
According to utility tracker PowerOutage.us, at least 55,000 customers were without power in Illinois.
Earlier Wednesday, Marciano reported that more than 125 million Americans were facing severe weather advisories, including the Gulf Coast states, which were under flood alerts due to Tropical Storm Arthur. Speaking on “CBS Evening News,” Marciano said such ripe tornado conditions were rare for June.
“This is unique for June, this is unusual to have such a strong jet stream just screaming across the country, then you’ve got the summertime tropical moisture coming in…and then some cold air coming in,” Marciano said. “And winds coming at different direction, at different levels, creating that spin. So what that equates to is really the high probability of seeing, not just tornadoes, but intense tornadoes of EF2 strength or higher on the ground for a long time. And also damaging winds at 75 mph or higher, and of course big time hail.”
When is Juneteenth and how is the holiday celebrated
Juneteenth is coming up. Here is what the holiday is about and how it’s celebrated.
It is a busy weekend in Iowa City as summer officially begins on Sunday. From Iowa City Pride and Juneteenth celebrations, there is no shortage of activity happening around town.
Here are four events to check out.
Enter the whimsical world of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at Lower City Park
Thursday to Sunday: Riverside Theatre’s summer tradition, Shakespeare in the Park, has returned to Lower City Park. Catch a free performance of William Shakespeare’s iconic comedy, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” that follows the chaotic events of four entangled lovers and a troupe of actors wandering into a mystical forest. All of the free shows through the weekend start at 7:30 p.m.
Celebrate Juneteenth with live entertainment and community
Friday: The Black Voices Project and Dream City are teaming up to host the community-wide Juneteenth Celebration. At 1 p.m. Friday, June 19, at the South District Market Parking lot, enjoy live music from Kevin Burt, along with community presentations, activities for all ages, and a fashion showcase.
Show your pride at Iowa City Pride events
Saturday: Iowa City Pride is back for the 56th year. Principal events, the Pride Parade and Pride Festival, will start at noon on Saturday, June 20. The festival will be on the Ped Mall, and the parade will begin at College Green Park, working its way downtown along Iowa Avenue and East Washington Street. The festival runs from 12 to 9 p.m.
Catch a romantic comedy under the stars at FilmScene in the Park
Saturday: FilmScene in the Park returns at 9:15 p.m., Saturday, June 20, with a screening of the cult classic “13 Going on 30″ at Chauncey Swan Park. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Concessions, including beer and wine, will be available 30 minutes before the film begins.
Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and education reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @rishjessica_
-
Louisiana1 minute agoGov. Landry declares state of emergency after flooding, severe weather across Louisiana
-
Maine4 minutes agoImportant things to know about the Maine boys lacrosse state finals
-
Maryland9 minutes agoUniversity of Maryland football player arrested for harassment
-
Michigan16 minutes agoMichigan Department of Corrections to launch L.E.A.D. Academy program this fall
-
Massachusetts19 minutes agoTwo men indicted for Hinsdale robbery after ‘cigarette trail’ leads through Vermont, Massachusetts
-
Minnesota24 minutes agoMinnesota cannabis store owners lament testing backlog: “It’s getting frustrating for everyone involved”
-
Mississippi31 minutes agoMississippi veterans urged to seek PTSD help during Awareness Month
-
Missouri34 minutes agoMissouri judge strikes down nearly all state abortion regulations
