It was another jam-packed Sunday across women’s college basketball as three top-10 teams have fallen in dramatic fashion. Clemson rallied past Duke with a late 3-pointer, Iowa Hawkeyes dominated Michigan on the road and Virginia knocked off Louisville on its last possession. Here’s how each upset unfolded and what it could mean moving forward.
Virginia takes down No. 8 Louisville
Kymora Johnson did Kymora Johnson things.
The sophomore guard poured in 12 of her 16 points after halftime, and Romi Levy delivered the biggest bucket of the night as the Cavaliers stunned the Cardinals 74-72 in a back-and-forth ACC thriller Sunday.
Virginia led 41-30 at halftime after a dominant second quarter in which it outscored Louisville 23-18 and built a double-digit cushion behind Levy’s shot-making and interior play from Sa’Myah Smith and Tabitha Amanze. Levy finished with 15 points, three rebounds and shot 6-of-9 from the field, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.
But Louisville stormed back in the third. Elif Istanbulluoglu and Reyna Scott fueled a 10-3 stretch that trimmed the deficit to three, and the Cardinals tied it early in the fourth at 61-61.
From there, it became Johnson time.
She knocked down a go-ahead 3-pointer with 5:04 left, then answered a Louisville lead with a clutch two at the 1:08 mark to put Virginia back in front 71-69. After the Cardinals briefly reclaimed the lead at the free-throw line with 31 seconds remaining, Levy rose up from midrange with 13 seconds left and buried the decisive jumper for a 74-72 edge.
Louisville had two final chances, but Virginia forced tough looks and secured the rebound at the horn.
Johnson added three assists, two rebounds and a steal, sealing a signature win for the Cavaliers in the ACC race.
Cavaliers ballin’ out 😮💨 x 🎥 TheCW /
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB)
Clemson stuns No. 9 Duke 53-51
Hannah Kohn drilled a 3-pointer with three seconds left as Clemson stunned No. 9 Duke, 53-51, on Sunday, delivering the Tigers’ first top-10 win since December 2022.
Kohn’s shot capped a furious fourth-quarter rally and lifted Clemson to 19-9 overall and 10-6 in the ACC, strengthening its NCAA Tournament resume in coach Shawn Poppie’s first season.
Clemson trailed 39-30 entering the fourth quarter before slowly chipping away. Demeara Hinds fueled the comeback at the free-throw line and in the paint, and Mia Moore converted a three-point play to give the Tigers a brief 44-43 lead midway through the period.
Taylor Johnson-Matthews added a midrange jumper with 2:47 left to push Clemson ahead 47-43, but Duke answered. Riley Nelson’s bucket with nine seconds remaining put the Blue Devils in front, 51-50.
After a timeout, Clemson worked the ball to Kohn on the perimeter. She rose and buried the go-ahead 3 from the wing, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
Duke led by as many as 14 in the first half and took a 29-23 advantage into the break. Clemson tightened defensively in the second half, forced key turnovers late and closed the game on a 23-12 surge to seal the upset.
OH MY GOODNESS🤯 HANNAH KOHN IS HER! x 🎥 ESPN2 /
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB)
No. 13 Iowa crushes No. 6 Michigan in statement home win
The Hawkeyes delivered one of their most complete performances of the season Sunday, stifling the Wolverines in a 62-44 home victory.
After a sluggish opening quarter that ended tied 12-12, Iowa gradually seized control with its defense and interior play. The Hawkeyes closed the second quarter on a 15-6 run to take a 27-20 halftime lead, holding Michigan without a field goal for nearly three minutes late in the half.
Iowa stretched the margin in the third behind Ava Heiden and Hannah Stuelke. Heiden scored in the paint and on second-chance opportunities, while Stuelke cleaned the glass as the Hawkeyes built a 42-35 advantage entering the fourth.
The final period turned into a clinic. Iowa outscored Michigan 20-9 in the fourth, repeatedly attacking inside and capitalizing on Wolverine turnovers. Heiden dominated down the stretch, scoring 10 of her team-high 24 points in the final quarter as the lead ballooned to as many as 20.
Michigan shot just 30.5% from the field and committed 24 turnovers, never finding rhythm offensively. Olivia Olson led the Wolverines with 13 points, but Iowa’s physical defense and rebounding proved decisive.
Not on No. 5's watch 🚫 x
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB)
