Kymora Johnson’s standout performance, with 28 points, helped 10th-seeded Virginia stun No. 2 seed Iowa in double overtime, 83-75. This victory marks the Cavaliers’ first trip to the Sweet 16 since 2000. The game took place on Monday in a women’s NCAA tournament second-round game.
Resilient Cavaliers Advance
Virginia (22-11) completed a remarkable five-day stretch with three wins. They defeated Arizona State 57-55 in last Thursday’s First Four game, followed by an 82-73 overtime win against Georgia on Saturday. Then they beat the Hawkeyes (27-7) in front of a sold-out home crowd of 14,332.
Virginia coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton praised her team’s resilience. She highlighted the team’s belief that they were going to win the game. “Every time they punched, we punched back, stayed poised,” she said.
It’s also the first time a 10-seed has reached the Sweet 16 since Creighton did it in 2022.
Johnson’s Key Performance
Johnson said the team is confident and believe in the work they’ve put in. “Not a lot of people have. They’ve written us off,” Johnson added. “We came into March trying to show what Virginia is about.”
Johnson scored 14 of her points in the two overtimes, contributing significantly to the win. She played the entire 50 minutes of the game.
“Hungry and tired,” Johnson said when she was asked about how she felt. “But blessed and happy to be able to get the dub and be able to play 50 minutes.”
Iowa’s Missed Opportunities
Iowa had opportunities to win in both regulation and at the end of the first overtime. Chazadi Wright’s turnaround jumper at the end of regulation missed with one second left. The Hawkeyes then missed two shots at the end of the first overtime, including a 3-pointer by Taylor Stremlow and a putback attempt by Ava Heiden.
Iowa coach Jan Jensen acknowledged Virginia’s big plays. “When you win in March, you make big plays,” Jensen said.
Other Notable Performances
- Paris Clark scored 20 points for Virginia.
- Romi Levy added 13 points.
- Caitlin Weimar contributed 12 points.
Heiden led Iowa with 26 points, while Wright had 21. Hannah Stuelke recorded 15 points and 19 rebounds, marking her 10th double-double of the season.
Agugua-Hamilton, in her fourth season, spoke about rebuilding the programme. She said it involved rebuilding the community, the energy, resources, players and the culture.