There is nothing worse than a great game being decided by the officials.
The Iowa vs. UConn matchup in the Final Four had everything. Both teams were hitting big shots down the stretch, tough defense was featured throughout and Iowa came storming back from down 12 in the first half.
But there is no doubt about it, the game came down to one whistle.
UConn forced a steal with nine seconds left as it trailed 70-69. The Huskies ran a play for a last-second shot, but they couldn't get a shot off before one of the officials blew their whistle for an offensive foul. UConn's Aaliyah Edwards, who had a team-high 17 points on the night, was whistled for an illegal screen.
After viewers were able to see the replay, it did not appear to be an obvious foul. And it forced social media to blow up over the call.
Aaliyah Edwards was called for an offensive foul with UConn down one in crunch time
(via @espn) pic.twitter.com/4nQjQuxDku
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) April 6, 2024
NAAAAAHHHHHH[ I ain’t rolling with that call.
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 6, 2024
What an absolutely awful call at the end
Absolutely horrific to call that in that moment
Total joke
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) April 6, 2024
That’s a BS call
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) April 6, 2024
Iowa ultimately was able to bleed out the clock despite a missed free throw from Caitlin Clark, as the Hawkeyes grabbed the offensive rebound and made a couple of savvy inbounds plays to seal the deal.
Luckily for UConn +3.5 bettors, the Huskies only lost by two points.
The game should be remembered for the great plays throughout the 40 minutes. Unfortunately, people will be talking about the offensive foul call for a very long time.
