2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship: No. 3 LSU beats No. 2 Iowa 102-85 for first-ever national title

By Apr 2, 2023, 4:35 PM EDT
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The No. 3 seeded LSU Tigers won the 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship on Sunday, beating the No. 2-seeded Iowa Hawkeyes 102-85 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. It marks the first-ever NCAA basketball title for LSU, women’s or men’s.

Ladazhia Williams led the Tigers starters with 20 points, while Jasmine Carson came off the bench to score 22. Angel Reese, who was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player, added 15 points and 10 rebounds, to record the most double-doubles (34) in a single season.

Iowa’s star guard Caitlin Clark, the 2023 Player of the Year, led all scorers with 30 points and added eight assists and two rebounds.

In their postgame press conference, players and coaches shared their thoughts on the national title tilt:

Kim Mulkey on winning her home state of Texas and securing LSU’s first-ever national basketball title: “With about 1:30 to go, I couldn’t hold it. I got very emotional. That’s really not like me until the buzzer goes off, but I knew we were going to hold on and win this game. I don’t know if it’s the mere fact that we’re doing this in my second year back home. I don’t know if it was the fact that I am home. I don’t know if it was looking across there at my daughter and my grandchildren. I don’t know if it was looking across at LSU. I don’t know what it was, but I lost it.”

Angel Reese, when asked about the “Twitter outrage” after directing the “You can’t see me” gesture to Clark and then pointing at her ring finger: “I’m happy. I mean, all year I was critiqued about who I was. I don’t fit the narrative. I don’t fit in a box that y’all want me to be in. I’m too hood. I’m too ghetto. Y’all told me that all year. But when other people do it, y’all say nothing. So this was for the girls that look like me, that’s going to speak up on what they believe in. It’s unapologetically you. That’s what I did it for tonight. It was bigger than me tonight. It was bigger than me.”

Jasmine Carson on her 16-point second quarter: “It was a surreal moment. Every player dreams of being on a big stage like this and having the game of your life, and for it to come to fruition, it meant a lot. I was just taking in the moment. I was just living in the moment. Usually I don’t even celebrate after I make a shot, but tonight I just let it all out. I made a three. I was like — I just had to let it out. I didn’t have nothing to lose. This was my last game of my college career, and I ended it the right way.”

Iowa coach Lisa Bluder on the officiating: “I can’t comment on the officials. It’s very frustrating because I feel like I can’t talk to them. They won’t even listen. That’s what’s frustrating is there wasn’t even a conversation that could be had. When your two seniors (Monika Czinano, McKenna Warnock) have to sit on the bench — [they officials] don’t know they’re seniors. I get it. But those two women didn’t deserve it. I don’t think so. And then Caitlin getting a T. I don’t know. It’s too bad. Yeah, it’s too bad.”

Bluder on her 2022-23 squad: “I’m so proud of my team. I’m proud of the women they are. I’m proud of what they stand for. … I’m telling you, this is brutal. It’s really tough to walk out of that locker room today and to not be able to coach Monika and the McKenna ever again, that’s tough. I’m very grateful for the season we had, and I don’t want anything to take away from that. We played the National Championship Game.”

Caitlin Clark on her impact on the women’s college game: “I think the biggest thing is it’s really, really special. I don’t think it’s going to set in for me for quite some time. I want my legacy to be the impact that I can have on young kids and the people in the state of Iowa, and I hope I brought them a lot of joy this season. I hope this team brought them a lot of joy. I understand we came up one win short, but I think we have a lot to be proud of and a lot to celebrate. I was just that young girl, so all you have to do is dream, and you can be in moments like this.”

On Her Turf provided live updates and highlights throughout the game, so read on to relive all the action.

2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship: March Madness results and scores

LSU vs. Iowa: Live first-quarter updates

9:36 1Q: And the national championship game is underway! Forty minutes for all the marbles. LSU wins the tip but Iowa is the first to get on the board as Monika Czinano makes a jumper, assisted by none other than Caitlin Clark.

8:29 1Q: Clark hits her first 3 of the game, breaking a single tournament record. Her average range has been 25’11”.

3:29 1Q: LSU takes a 20-18 lead as Iowa’s Monika Czinano heads to the bench after her second foul.

0:00 1Q: At the end of the first quarter, LSU leads 27-22. Four players already have two fouls, including LSU’s Angel Reese, who’s also recorded 7 points. Caitlin Clark leads the scoring with 14 points and two assists, plus two turnovers.

LSU coach Kim Mulkey told ABC’s Holly Rowe after the first quarter: “I just didn’t like the way we started with three turnovers. Holly in the first couple minutes of play. Just take a deep breath. You got a freshman out there making those turnovers but I didn’t take her out. You let her work her way through it. … We’re gonna play aggressive. They either gonna call it aggressive on both areas, or let them play. We can do either.”

LSU vs. Iowa: Live second-quarter updates

5:42 2Q: The Tigers stay out front, holding a seven-point lead midway through the second quarter. LSU’s Jasmine Carson has eight points off the bench, going 2-2 from the three and 2-2 from the free-throw line.

4:15 2Q: Again! Jasmin Carson hits her second of back-to-back threes, lifting LSU to a 49-38 lead. She’s 4-4 from the 3.

0:00 2Q: As the teams heads to the locker rooms, LSU holds a 59-42 lead. LSU’s 59 most points are the most ever in a championship game in a single half. Jasmine Carson leads all scorers with 21 points, hitting her fifth 3 at the buzzer. Iowa’s Caitlin Clark has 16 points — and three personal fouls.

Carson told ABC’s Rowe at the half: “I mean it’s good for my team. You know, most of the starters got into foul trouble, so you know I’ve been working for this my whole life, and you know it just feels great to finally be playing on this stage.”

LSU vs. Iowa: Live third-quarter updates

8:50 3Q: LSU’s LaDazhia Williams opens the second half scoring, putting the Tigers ahead 61-42. Some stats from the NCAA after the first half note that LSU’s 59 points in the first half is the most any team has scored in a women’s Final Four half since Georgia scored 57 in 1985. Iowa was down 17 at the half … no team has come back more than 15 points down in a championship game.

7:54: Caitlin Clark hits the three to set the record for most points in NCAA tournament history. She now holds the single-tournament record for most 3-pointers made with 24 and the single tournament record for most points scored with 178. Sheryl Swoopes previously set the record with 177 points through five games.

3:51 3Q: Caitlin Clark hits her seventh 3-pointer of the game to bring Iowa within 10 points, 69-60 (LSU leads).

2:45 3Q: Kim Mulkey loses a timeout on a challenge as the lead tightens to 69-62.

1:04 3Q: A “crippling possession” for Iowa, as Monika Czinano gets her fourth personal foul followed by Caitlin Clark charged with a technical. LSU gets four three throws, two missed by Angel Reese and two made by Alexis Morris. LSU leads 75-64.

0:00 3Q: At the end of the third, the score remains 75-64, LSU.

LSU vs. Iowa: Live fourth-quarter updates

Before the start of the final 10 minutes, Iowa coach Lisa Bluder tells ABC’s Holly Rowe regarding both starters picking up their fourth foul on same possession: “Obviously it’s a tough one. I mean, obviously, three of our starters with four fouls is not a good thing. But we’re gonna go back with Caitlin. I mean, it’s a national championship game. We got 10 minutes left. We’re down nine. We gotta go with Caitlin.”

8:01 4Q: Iowa’s Addison O’Grady misses two free throws as LSU leads 79-69.

6:25 4Q: Iowa’s Monika Czinano fouls out, as LSU extends its lead to 14, 85-71

5:20 4Q: Caitlin Clark hits her eighth three of the game, and leads all scorers with 28. LSU remains in control, 89-76.

1:11 4Q: LSU’s Kateri Poole hits the dagger as LSU extends the lead to 98-82.

0:00 4Q: The LSU Tigers win their first-ever national basketball title, 102-85, as coach Kim Mulkey earns her fourth national title and first with the Tigers.

Postgame reaction

LSU’s Angel Reese gives all the credit to her teammates.

How to watch the 2023 NCAA D1 Women’s Basketball Championship

TEAMS TIME TV/STREAMING* LOCATION
No. 2 Iowa vs. No. 3 LSU 3:30 p.m. ET ABC, ESPN+ American Airlines Center; Dallas, Texas

*Bonus viewing: WNBA greats Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi will be back for another edition of “The Bird and Taurasi Show,” at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

Starting lineups

No. 2 Iowa: 

  • McKenna Warnock (F)
  • Monika Czinano (F)
  • Caitlin Clark (G)
  • Gabbie Marshall (G)
  • Kate Martin (G)

More about Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder: Bluder ranks fourth all-time among Division I active coaches with 850 career wins (first among Big Ten active coaches), and she’s also the all-time leader for Big Ten regular season conference wins with 248. The Hawkeyes have made postseason tournament appearances in 21 of Bluder’s 23 seasons at Iowa, receiving 17 NCAA tournament and four WNIT (2003, 2005, 2016, 2017) bids, and making four Sweet 16 appearances.

No. 3 LSU:

  • Angel Reese (F)
  • LaDazhia Williams (F)
  • Flau’jae Johnson (G)
  • Kateri Poole (G)
  • Alexis Morris (G)

About LSU head coach Kim Mulkey: This year marks Mulkey’s second year at LSU and her fourth appearance in the national title game as a head coach. She holds a 3-0 record in national championship games, winning three titles as the head coach at Baylor. She’s the only person in men’s or women’s DI history to win national championships as a player, assistant coach and head coach.

What’s at stake for Iowa and LSU

For Iowa: The Hawkeyes upset the No. 1 overall seed, the defending national champions South Carolina Gamecocks, to advance to their first national title berth in program history. Iowa was tabbed as the No. 2 seed for the fifth time in school history, the Hawkeyes boast a 14-4 record in the NCAA tournament on the No. 2 seed line. Caitlin Clark was tabbed as the Naismith National Player of the Year on Wednesday.

For LSU: The 2023 tournament marks LSU’s sixth Final Four appearance, but this will be the first time the Tigers are playing for a national championship. The last time LSU advanced to the Final Four was in 2008, the final year of five consecutive Final Four appearances. Prior to Friday’s win over Virginia Tech, LSU had never won a game in the Final Four — men’s or women’s. LSU has won a men’s basketball national title (1935), but there was no official championship game then.

How they got here

NO. 2 IOWA (31-6) ROUND NO. 3 LSU (33-2)
Defeated No. 15 Southeastern La., 95-43 First Round Defeated No. 14 Hawaii, 73-50
Defeated No. 10 Georgia, 74-66 Second Round Defeated No. 6 Michigan, 66-42
Defeated No. 6 Colorado, 87-77 Sweet 16 Defeated No. 2 Utah, 66-63
Defeated No. 5 Louisville, 97-83 Elite Eight Defeated No. 9 Miami (FL), 54-42
Defeated No. 1 South Carolina, 77-73 Final Four DefeatedNo. 1 Virginia Tech, 79-72

Fun facts, players notes ahead of national title game

More about Iowa:

  • Caitlin Clark became the first player in DI women’s basketball history to notch a 1,000 point and 300 assist single season. She also became the Big Ten’s all-time leading scorer, surpassing Megan Gustafson.
  • Clark produced the first 40-point triple-double in men’s or women’s NCAA Tournament history against Louisville in the Elite Eight. (41p, 12a, 10r)
  • Iowa’s win I the Final Four versus South Carolina was the first win in program history against an AP No. 1 team.
  • Against Louisville and USC, Clark is the first player to net back-to-back 40-point performances in the NCAA tourney.
  • Against South Carolina, Iowa extended its program record for most wins in a single season (31).

More about LSU:

  • Angel Reese tied the NCAA record with her 33rd double-double of the season in the Final Four.
  • Reese is the first player to ever have 100 points, 70 rebounds, 10 blocks and 10 steals in a single NCAA tournament, per ESPN Stats and Info. She will enter the national championship game with 113 points, 81 rebounds, 14 blocks and 13 steals through five tournament games this year.
  • From when coach Kim Mulkey was hired at LSU on April 25, 2021, to LSU’s win over Miami in the Elite Eight on March 26, 2023, marks a span of just 700 days that Mulkey turned a 9-13 program into a national championship contender.
  • LSU finished the regular season 27-1, matching the best regular-season record in program history from 2004-05. That LSU team reached the Final Four in 2005, but fell to Mulkey’s Baylor team en route to her first national championship as a head coach.

Past champions of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship

YEAR CHAMPION (record) COACH SCORE RUNNER-UP SITE
2022 South Carolina (36-2) Dawn Staley 64-49 Connecticut Minneapolis, Minnesota
2021 Stanford (31-2) Tara VanderVeer 54-53 Arizona San Antonio, Texas
2020 Baylor (37-1) Kim Mulkey 82-81 Notre Dame Tampa, Florida
2019 Notre Dame (34-3) Muffet McGraw 61-58 Mississippi State Columbus, Ohio
2018 South Carolina (33-4) Dawn Staley 67-55 Mississippi State Dallas, Texas

For a complete list of champions, visit NCAA.com.

What they’re saying ahead of Iowa-LSU national title game

Lisa Bluder: “I know a lot of people lost a lot of money in Vegas and elsewhere last night. Not a lot of people betting on the Hawkeyes. So we’re just going to keep believing. We have one more game to our season. Our team was just thrilled we get to spend two more days together. Honestly I think that’s what they were most excited about. They’re playing for a national championship, and they get to spend two more days together.”

Caitlin Clark: “I think the thing for me is I understand things aren’t going to go my way. I think accepting that — and that’s not always something I’ve had throughout my college career — when I haven’t gotten fouls called, when I’ve had turnovers, when I’ve had missed shots, it’s kind of thrown me off my game a little bit. I think the physicality is something I’ve just come to accept at this point in my career. People are holding me. I have scratches. I have bruises. But so does everybody else. You can’t complain. …That’s the game of basketball. All you’ve got to do is respond, and that’s what’s going to be best for your team.”

Kim Mulkey: “I don’t want to use the word ‘powerhouse.’ We’ve won games. We have not won championships. Are we ahead of schedule? I think it’s obvious we’re ahead of schedule. We’re sitting here playing for the national championship. So the hard part now is, when it’s all over, win or lose, you go back to recruiting, you go back to trying to duplicate what you did this year and just continue on a trajectory that is positive. To someday maybe winning an SEC Championship, maybe winning a National Championship, or being what you would say a contender every year — but we’re ahead of schedule.”

Angel Reese: “To my teammates: This is what we came here for. I mean, we’re in this moment, to be in a national championship game with nine new pieces in Kim Mulkey’s second year … Be happy for ourselves, but the job isn’t finished, and we’re hungry. I think that’s the difference between us and a lot of teams. We’re not going to stop fighting until the end, and I think we just have that dog mentality within the team.”

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Li Li Leung talks USA Gymnastics’ cultural transformation, challenges still to come and embracing her AAPI heritage

By May 31, 2023, 9:59 AM EDT
Head of USA Gymnastics Li Li Leung.
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Li Li Leung joined USA Gymnastics as president and CEO in March 2019, when the organization was reeling from the fallout of Larry Nassar’s widespread sexual abuse and the subsequent revelations of larger cultural issues within the sport. Since then, Leung has seen USAG through an ongoing transformation, one that hinges on the work of the survivors and staff around her, whom she is quick to credit. That evolution, as she calls it, has included instituting new norms and standards at all levels of the sport, particularly in matters related to athlete safety.

Among the notable USAG initiatives that Leung has brought to fruition is the Athlete Bill of Rights, established in December 2020 as a tool “to unite the full gymnastics community around a shared vision of behavioral expectations.” At the same time, USAG instituted a protest policy for national team members aimed at supporting athletes who choose to use their voice on public platforms. Both initiatives were among the first of their kind in sport.

Prior to joining USAG, Leung served as a vice president at the National Basketball Association (NBA), where she was responsible for building and managing key partner relationships around the world. She continues to use that experience in her roles as vice chair of the National Governing Bodies Council of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and a member of the International Gymnastics Federation’s Executive Committee.

Leung, who began competing in gymnastics at age 7, was a member of the U.S. junior national training team and represented the U.S. at the 1988 Junior Pan American Games. She was a four-year member of the four-time Big 10 champion University of Michigan gymnastics team and was an NCAA Championships participant.

In honor of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, On Her Turf sat down with Leung to talk about her journey with USAG, the challenges still to come and how being a member of the AAPI community has shaped the person she is today.

ALSO FROM ON HER TURF: Sloane Stephens gets candid about turning 30, favorite self-care practices and freezing her eggs ahead of 12th French Open

This Q+A has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.

On Her Turf: Let’s start by talking about your journey since joining USA Gymnastics in 2019. What have the last four years been like for you?

Li Li Leung: This was just an incredible opportunity to give back to the sport that has given so much to me. And I really mean that because I started in the sport when I was 7 years old and did it for 15 years. It’s taught me all of these different skills that I apply to my daily life, both professional and personal. It feels a little bit like I’ve come full circle, and honestly, never in a million years did I think I would find myself in this role. … I joined at a time when it was a tumultuous time for the organization. It’s been just a little a little over four years now, and it has been an incredible journey — and believe it or not, I have enjoyed it. While it hasn’t been easy, I actually have enjoyed it, because I’ve been able to make it not just me. One thing that’s important to note is that — I had even said on my first interview with the board — it will take a village to accomplish what we need to accomplish. This is not a one-person job. And I was lucky enough to be able to bring on a leadership team that has been incredible, and also retain the staff that we have retained, as well as hire other new staff members. And it’s because of them and some really key volunteers that we’ve been able to accomplish what we’ve been able to do.

OHT: Can you talk a little more about this cultural transformation that the organization has experienced and your approach to tackling this all-encompassing change?

Leung: When I was interviewing for the position, I actually met every single board member. It was really critical to both sides that they felt that I matched the role and their needs and also I had to be confident in the board believing in the ultimate mission of the organization and what we wanted to achieve. So that the culture really does stem from the well – from the top down and everything in between as well. And when I was looking for leadership team, … one of the characteristics I was really looking for was they couldn’t have an ego. The job couldn’t be about themselves or about what they would personally get out of the role. It had to be about them believing in the bigger picture and believing in what we collectively wanted to achieve. I knew that we would only be able to accomplish what we need to accomplish if people were willing to roll up their sleeves and just do whatever needed to be done, so that was one of the key things in terms of having no ego.

Since 2018, we’ve turned over more than 70 percent of our staff. We’ve been able to retain the really key members of our staff, who have been critical to our success, but also have been able to really bring in new thinking, new blood, new perspectives. Because the other thing I was looking for when I was hiring for the leadership team was diversity in perspectives. That was critical because I did not want to be surrounded by “yes people.” I wanted to be surrounded by people who would be willing to have really robust conversations and engage in difficult conversations, because ultimately, you end up in a better place because of that.

In 2020, we reset our mission to be about building a community and culture of health, safety and excellence, with athletes who thrive in sport and in life. So we were no longer about developing technically superior gymnasts who perform well in gym. We reset our focus to be about helping set our athletes up for success with the skill sets that you learn in gymnastics, and when we come to the office each day, that’s what we’re thinking about. …

The other piece is we also know from a community standpoint that our national team coaches are the most visible representation (of USAG), and a lot of coaches model them. So we’ve been working really hard in terms of working on educating our national team coaches. We work with Positive Coaching Alliance to do educational training with them as well. And we also have introduced training specifically for young coaches coming in, because we know when they come in and they’re new, that they’re eager to learn, and that’s when you can start training and moving them in a way. So our thinking is with this top-down and bottom-up strategy, eventually the middle will meet.

OHT: You noted how the coaches can be some of the most visible representatives of USAG. Regarding the addition of 2008 Olympic silver medalists Chellsie Memmel (USAG technical lead) and Alicia Sacramone Quinn (USAG strategic lead), how have those women impacted the program?

Leung: The addition of Chellsie and Alicia has been fantastic. They have been phenomenal to work with, and the fact that they have firsthand experience of having gone through it themselves – that also gives them a very good idea of what they would change and what they wouldn’t change, at the same time. It has been a phenomenal addition to be able to have this perspective of firsthand, high-level, high-performing athletes to be able to lead our high-performance team. And the athletes are saying it as well. They’re saying, “We trust them; we feel confident in their decisions; we can relate to them” — all of those things that historically haven’t really happened before.

Then in terms of the athletes who are going to college and coming back to compete with USA Gymnastics – there are so many aspects that I think are great about this. One: It’s showing a lengthened career in a sport that historically has not been very long because it’s so demanding on the body. So that means that our athletes are physically healthier, as well, that they can train and compete at a high level for a longer period of time. It also means that they’re enjoying it more because they’re staying in the sport. From an emotional standpoint, they’re finding a lot more joy in the sport, and they’re talking about it, too. And we love the fact that they’re talking about it. We want them to talk about it, and we want them to have voices and feel open and free about sharing what they’re thinking about. I have to say I’ve been really enjoying seeing almost like — I’m not sure if I can go as far as a new era in the sport maybe — but just this evolution of the sport and the athletes changing in front of my eyes.

OHT: What do you consider now to still be the biggest challenge or obstacle for USAG?

Leung: There are a couple of big initiatives on the list. One is we want to build a training and wellness center where all of our disciplines will train under one roof. This is a long-term project, obviously, but my vision around it is that it will be the heart and hub of gymnastics in America. And while this is where national team athletes will ultimately train to some extent, it is going to be a welcoming place for athletes of all different disciplines and all different levels. We want it to be a place where young athletes can come through and see their role models training. We want this to be a place of education for our community and judges. We want to be able to run clinics there for all different levels. We just want this to be a gathering place of gymnastics and to be able to celebrate the sport there at the same time.

We’re also going to reset our foundation. There’s been the National Gymnastics Foundation, but we are going to reset it and basically be much more proactive on fundraising and development to grow the sport and also to raise more money for athletes in their training.

OHT: Turning to AAPI Heritage Month and being named to the 2023 Gold House A100 List (the A100 is named each May honoring 100 Asian Pacific leaders who made the greatest impact on culture and society over the past year). What did that honor mean to you?

Leung: It was such an incredible honor to be recognized by them, and my fellow honorees — when I read the list, I thought to myself, “I don’t belong.” There are some incredible names on that list. But again, I go back to what I said earlier: I owe this honor to a lot of the other people who work [at USAG]. I think the really important thing to recognize is that this was not done by just me. It was done by a lot of other people who are on staff and who aren’t getting the accolades or the recognition. But it was an incredible experience to be, and I’m very, very touched and honored to be on that list.

OHT: How do you identify within the Asian American Pacific Islander community? Did you embrace your heritage growing up and how has that shaped who you are today?

Leung: So I’ll tell you a story that I’ve mentioned to other people recently. I grew up in a town called Ridgewood in Bergen County, New Jersey, and most of my friends had blond hair and blue eyes. When I was growing up, I wanted the name “Nancy Smith,” and I wanted blue eyes. I wanted to fit in. As a kid, you always want to fit in. Then when you get older and wizen up a little bit, you realize that it’s okay and it’s good to be different, that you can use that to your advantage. And so upon growing up, I realized that it’s pretty special to be Asian American and there are benefits to being Asian American, and you should embrace the fact that you are different. In fact, I recently lectured to a women-in-sports-business class, and one of the questions they asked me was about impostor syndrome. I said the same thing that I’m saying to you now, which is absolutely embrace who you are. Absolutely embrace your differences, because those ultimately are embedded advantages to who you are and make you stand out from the rest of the crowd. So that’s my philosophy now.

OHT: Do you or your family have any traditions that are especially important to you?

Leung: I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a tradition, but in the Chinese culture, food is really important. Food is what brings people together. It’s a sign of respect, and that is the ultimate unifying language in a way. So when we do get together as a family, it’s really important for us to get together around a meal, because that’s when we share our stories. That’s when we connect with one another.

OHT: You might have just answered my next question, but I want to ask: What brings you joy about your heritage and culture?

Leung: It’s funny, I was actually at a conference last week and you were supposed to find someone you didn’t know in the conference and share a secret talent that you have. I shared that I can eat a lot more than most people think. Food is a really important part of our culture and in my upbringing and family.

OHT: Lastly, I wanted to ask, as we’ve seen an increase in hate-filled actions toward the AAPI community, what does supporting the AAPI community look like for you?

Leung: Well, I think kind of going back to my other answer, it’s just about embracing who you are and embracing your differences. I think part of it is being unafraid of it at the same time, which I know is really difficult. But if you’re going to truly embrace it, and then you can’t be afraid about embracing it at the same time.

MORE FROM ON HER TURF: Laureus award winner and three-time Olympic medalist Eileen Gu on Stanford, elevating women and changing the game

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By May 30, 2023, 5:03 PM EDT
Pajaree Anannarukarn of Thailand tees off on the eleventh hole during Day One of the HSBC Women's World Championship.
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The Statue of Liberty is the backdrop for this week’s inaugural Mizuho Americas Open at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey. The tournament boasts a theme of mentorship and education, and includes a girls’ 72-hole, modified Stableford tournament featuring 24 juniors to go along with the 72-hole stroke-play event for 120 LPGA professionals.

The field is led by seven of the top 10 players on the Rolex Rankings including world No. 1 Jin Young Ko, No. 3 Lydia Ko, No. 4 Lilia Vu and No. 5 Minjee Lee. Also teeing it up this week are the finalists from Sunday’s Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play, where Thailand’s Pajaree Anannarukarn captured her second LPGA title with a 3-and-1 victory over Japan’s Ayaka Furue.

Michelle Wie West is serving as the tournament host, and she’ll be on hand to welcome fellow Stanford alum Rose Zhang, who’s fresh off her second straight NCAA individual title and turned professional just last week. Zhang will have her first go at an LPGA prize purse, which tops out at $2.75 million this week with the winner taking home $412,500.

How to watch the 2023 Mizuho Americas Open

You can watch the 2023 Mizuho Americas Open on Golf Channel, Peacock, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app. Check out the complete TV and streaming schedule:

  • Thursday, June 1: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. ET, Golf Channel and Peacock
  • Friday, June 2: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. ET, Golf Channel and Peacock
  • Saturday, June 3: 5-8 p.m. ET, Golf Channel and Peacock
  • Sunday, June 4: 4:30-5 p.m. ET (streaming only on Peacock); 5-7:30 p.m. ET, Golf Channel and Peacock

ALSO FROM ON HER TURF: Wake Forest captures team title at 2023 NCAA DI women’s golf championships, Stanford’s Rose Zhang wins individual crown

Who’s playing in the 2023 Mizuho Americas Open?

The 120-player field features seven of the top 10 players (and 16 of the top 25 player) on the Rolex Rankings:

  • No. 1 Jin Young Ko
  • No. 3 Lydia Ko
  • No. 4 Lilia Vu
  • No. 5 Minjee Lee
  • No. 6 Atthaya Thitikul
  • No. 8 Brooke Henderson
  • No. 9 Georgia Hall

Also in the field are 2023 winners Celine Boutier (LPGA Drive On Championship), Ruoning Yin (DIO Implant LA Open) and Grace Kim (LOTTE Championship), plus several sponsor exemptions including reigning NCAA individual champion Rose Zhang and her Stanford teammate Megha Ganne. Ganne, a native of Holmdel, N.J., finished T-21 at the recent NCAAs and is playing as an amateur. Joining them as an exemption is fellow Cardinal Mariah Stackhouse, who has conditional status on tour in 2023. Monday qualifiers include tour rookie Alexa Pano and Australia’s Sarah Jane Smith.

Among the notable juniors expected to play are 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur winner Anna Davis, 2022 U.S. Girls’ Junior winner Yana Wilson and 2022 U.S. Junior Girls’ runnerup Gianna Clemente. The 24 junior players were invited through their standings in the Rolex AJGA Rankings.

What’s the format for the Mizuho Americas Open?

The professionals will play a 72-hole stroke-play competition, with a cut to the top 50 and ties after 36 holes. The 24 juniors will play a 72-hole, no-cut competition using the modified Stableford scoring format and a different yardage than the pros.

During the first two rounds, the AJGA players will all be paired together. During the final two rounds, one junior player will play with two LPGA pros with groupings based on scores. This unique format marks the first time the AJGA and LPGA have partnered to showcase junior and professional competitors playing together.

Stableford scoring refresher: “Stableford” is a scoring system that awards points for the number of strokes taken on each hole in relation to par, rather than simply counting strokes like in stroke play. Unlike in stroke play, where players want the lowest score, the goal in Stableford scoring is to have the highest score. Standard Stableford points values are:

  • 0 Points – Double bogey or worse (two strokes or more over par)
  • 1 Point – Bogey (one stroke over par)
  • 2 Points – Par
  • 3 Points – Birdie (one stroke under par)
  • 4 Points – Eagle (two strokes under par)
  • 5 Points – Albatross or double eagle (three strokes under par)
  • 6 Points – Condor (four strokes under par)

More about Liberty National Golf Club

Located on the shore of the Upper Bay of New York Harbor, Liberty National Golf Club was designed by Bob Cupp and Tom Kite and officially opened on July 4, 2006. After the course received mixed reviews following the PGA Tour’s Northern Trust in 2009, the course underwent a renovation led by Steve Wenzloff of PGA Tour Design Services. Of note, the course hosted an event during the PGA Tour Playoffs four times (2009, 2013, 2019 and 2021) as well as the 2017 Presidents Cup, where the U.S. defeated the Internationals 19-11 for the Americans’ seventh consecutive victory in the competition and its 10th straight win overall. For this week’s event, the course will play to a par of 72 with an unofficial scorecard yardage of 6,671 yards.

MORE FROM ON HER TURF: Laureus award winner and three-time Olympic medalist Eileen Gu on Stanford, elevating women and changing the game

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