This game doesn’t have to be a referendum on the two teams’ legacies and the narratives surrounding them – it’s also an incredibly compelling basketball matchup.LSU stifled Caitlin Clark with the defense of Alexis Morris last season, but Hailey Van Lith isn’t that player. In fact, Clark ran circles around Van Lith, then with Louisville, earlier in the 2023 tournament. The Tigers have upgraded their perimeter rotation on the wings, however, as Flau’jae Johnson is a more confident and consistent scorer and Mikaylah Williams provides instant offensive firepower. Sydney Affolter and Gabbie Marshall will have their hands full with that dynamic duo and will have to hit shots on the other end to compensate.Both teams are smaller inside than their 2023 iterations. Iowa’s Kate Martin will have to tend with LSU’s Aneesah Morrow, and Hannah Stuelke will have the unenviable task of containing Angel Reese. Clark might find it easier to get into the lane without a traditional center