Houston Style Magazine Vol 34 No 13

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Thisweek, Rolling Fork, Mississippi, was virtually erased by a tornado hurling winds of up to 200 miles per hour. “It’s bad out here,” Jourdan Hartshorn told ABC News, “It’s literally devastation, Ground Zero.” Twenty-five people are dead in Mississippi and one in nearby Alabama. More storms are forecast for the coming days.

The scope and swiftness of the destruction was unprecedented. Residents only got a 20-minute warning, if that. The tornado was nearly a mile wide, and carved a path of nearly 60 miles on the ground. Houses and gas stations were swept away. Power lines down. People are wandering the streets in shock.

Mississippi is the poorest state in the union and Rolling Fork is one of the poorer towns in Mississippi. Now, many small farmers and small business people, workers and retirees have lost virtually everything.

Crisis triggers response. First-responders came to save those they could and care for the wounded. Police, fire, and rescue squads from the area rushed in immediately.

Volunteers from churches and across the community helped those who were hit. Gov. Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency. President Biden mobilized the federal response. Once more the Federal Emergency Management Agency was deployed to supply water, food, medicine and emergency shelter.

The governor and mayor vowed to rebuild. But Rolling Fork needs to be built back better – not simply rebuilt. The trailers that many lived in were no match for the winds. The poverty that afflicted

COMMENTARY ROLLING FORK NEEDS TO BE BUILT BACK BETTER – NOT SIMPLY REBUILT

By Jesse Jackson, National Political Writer

too many left them even more vulnerable in the wake of the storm.

One thing that we must know: more storms are coming, and they will be more destructive. No one storm can be attributed directly to catastrophic climate change. But this storm was virtually unprecedented in its ferocity. And the southern states have experienced 236 tornadoes in March, a number not seen since the early 1950s. Extreme weather is not a future threat. It is a present danger, as Rolling Fork can testify.

If we don’t take immediate and radical action to address climate change, then Rolling Fork will be repeated – from fires or floods or droughts or hurricanes or cyclones and more – across the country – and across the globe. We reap what we sow, and we have sown the furies.

The population of Rolling Fork is virtually all Black. These are people who have suffered a history of great pain. From slavery to a violent repression of freedom after the Civil War to enforced apartheid, Mississippi’s Blacks still to this day

struggle for equality. Ronald Reagan began his presidential campaign in Philadelphia, Mississippi, the site of the torture and murder of civil rights workers James Chaney, Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman. The Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and its fight for recognition was a dramatic step in the Black struggle for political rights. No small number of Blacks came to Chicago and other northern cities in the Great Migration, seeking a better deal in the North. And now they are victims of a calamity, one of far too many that are threatening lives across this country.

In Chicago, we will organize volunteer efforts to aid those displaced by the storm. Benny Goodman, the US congressman from the Delta and the only Democrat on the Mississippi delegation, will lead the effort to drive federal assistance. While we help those in immediate distress, we must do far more to address the roots of the calamity –from poverty to extreme weather.

The great bluesman Muddy Waters,

who came out of Rolling Fork, once sang:

Have you ever been walking, walking down that old lonesome road?

Have you ever been walking, walking down that old lonesome road?

No place to go, whee well brown no place to room and board Things look so lonesome, when you ain’t got a shelter over your head Things look so lonesome, when you ain’t got a shelter over your head When you could have been at home, whee well boy sleepin’ in a feather bed.

Let us show the generosity – and the wisdom – to ensure that even in Mississippi, there is shelter over their heads.

You can write to the Rev. Jesse Jackson in care of this Newspaper or by email at: jjackson@rainbowpush.org

Damage is seen on a building in Rolling Fork, Miss., where three days earlier a tornado ripped through the town, Monday, March 27, 2023, in Rolling Fork, Miss. (AP News)

Asweeping public education bill that would allow families to use taxpayer money to send their children to private schools and restrict classroom lessons on sexual orientation received initial approval Tuesday and will now go before the Senate for a full vote.

The Senate education committee, led by Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, voted 10-2 to advance Senate Bill 8. The vote took place along party lines, with Republican lawmakers favoring the bill and Democrats José Menéndez of San Antonio and Morgan LaMantia of South Padre Island voting against it.

The committee also voted unanimously for an accompanying piece of legislation, Senate Bill 9, which would give pay raises to teachers and increase funding for classrooms, among other measures. The bill will also go to the Senate floor for a vote

The bill would give parents who opt out of the public school system access to a savings account with up to $8,000 in taxpayer money, per student, which could be used to pay for a child’s

STATE FUNDS TO PAY FOR PRIVATE SCHOOLS MOVES TO THEFULL SENATE FOR A VOTE

By POOJA SALHOTRA, The Texas Tribune

private schooling and other educational expenses, such as textbooks or tutoring.

A priority for Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the bill would also restrict classroom lessons, school activities and teacher guidance about sexual orientation and gender identity in all public and charter schools up to 12th grade. The bill is one of several pieces of legislation under consideration that could affect the lives of gay and transgender Texans, including one that would restrict the type of health care transgender children can receive.

The bill’s language banning certain types of lessons mirrors a highly controversial law in Florida. Those in

favor of the bill say parents are best equipped to teach children about topics like gender identity and sexual orientation.

Historically, rural Republicans have opposed programs similar to vouchers because they fear they could take away money from their local school districts, which are often large employers with fragile budgets. SB 8, however, seeks to address those concerns by shielding school districts with fewer than 20,000 students from any funding losses caused by the savings account program.

Schools in Texas are largely funded based on student attendance

numbers. Those smaller districts would receive $10,000 for two years for every student who enrolls in the savings account program and leaves their district. SB 8 is likely to get approval from the full Senate, but it is not yet clear if the added funding for smaller districts will be enough to get the legislation through the House, which has been traditionally more skeptical of similar programs.

The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. of an agreement with the NCAA.

Students eat lunch in the cafeteria at Chapa Middle School in Kyle on Aug. 24, 2021. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune

OUTRAGE DURING FIRST PUBLIC MEETING OVER HOUSTON ISD TAKEOVER

By BRIAN LOPEZ, The Texas Tribune

The Texas Education Agency announced on March 15 that it would replace the current superintendent and its democratically elected school board with a new board of managers as soon as June 1.

Community members were irate Tuesday night as state education officials tried to explain the process of taking over the Houston Independent School District. State officials did not take questions about the effects such a move could have on the district, which is the largest in Texas, but did try to recruit community members to replace the existing school board.

About seven minutes into the Texas Education Agency’s PowerPoint presentation on the impending HISD takeover, parents and community members erupted in shouts directed at TEA deputy commissioner Alejandro Delgado.

“We've got questions,” some yelled. Others shouted, "Y'all trying to take our community."

It was the first meeting that the state agency held in Houston since it announced on March 15 that it would replace the district’s current superintendent, Millard House II, and its democratically elected school board with its own “board of managers” in response to years of underperforming schools,

mainly Phillis Wheatley High School.

The high school received a failing accountability grade from the agency for five years in a row. It reached that threshold in 2019, but a court injunction had delayed any action from the TEA until this year. TEA Commissioner Mike Morath has said a Texas law passed in 2015 mandates that he either close the failing campus or appoint a new board of managers, effectively taking over the whole district.

The TEA commissioner decides how long the board will be in place. Usually, this sort of takeover lasts two to six years. TEA is seeking nine board managers that live within the district to take over starting June 1.

Houston ISD, with 276 schools and an enrollment of nearly 200,000 students, will be the largest district the agency has taken over.

The TEA official attempted to finish his presentation without interruption, but community members would not stand down. They were upset that they had to write their questions down on index cards and then TEA officials would choose which questions to answer.

“This meeting was rodeo-grade BS,” said Houston ISD parent Travis McGee. “The community should have been able to speak.”

McGee and other community members were also upset that the TEA commissioner himself didn’t show up to the meeting.

U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, took the podium once the TEA could not take control of the meeting. She said she believes Morath has the ability to not take over the district and instead continue monitoring improvement within the schools.

“The board of managers will not be responsive to teachers, parents or children. I do want the school board to be responsive to you,” she told the audience.

The TEA, which grades schools and districts each year based on their academic achievement, gave Wheatley a grade of F in 2019. Last year, Wheatley got a C, and Houston ISD as a whole received a B. In the last 19 months, HISD has made positive strides reducing the number of its campuses with a D or F rating from 50 to 10. Ninety-four percent of HISD schools now earn a grade of A, B or C.

While the accountability grade improved, Morath said that doesn’t change the fact that the school received failing grades in its accountability rating for five consecutive years — enough to mandate that the agency intervene.

“There are still systemic challenges in Houston,” he previously told the Tribune. “We are still required to act and so we are acting.”

McGee, whose children attend an HISD high school, said the meeting was “very disrespectful” to community members. People wanted to express their concerns and frustrations directly to TEA officials through a microphone on a podium regarding the board of managers change, rather than hear about the application process, he said.

“The board of managers is going to be a bunch of puppets,” McGee said. “Our school district ain’t perfect, but I doubt the state of Texas gonna do any better.”

Arnetta Murray, a Houston ISD teacher, said the TEA has not listened to the community about more pressing concerns. If they did, they would know the district has a bus driver shortage and teachers are stressed over standardized testing.

“I don’t care about no board of managers,” she said. “I care about our students and I care about the teachers.”

The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

At Westbury High School in Houston on Tuesday, attendees of a Texas Education Agency community meeting express their disapproval of the agency’s takeover of the Houston Independent School District. Credit: Douglas Sweet Jr. for The Texas Tribune

There have been some key developments in national gun policy in the intervening months:

Congress actually did come together last June to pass the first new, major national gun legislation in decades, encouraging states to pass red flag laws – which through court orders can temporarily prevent individuals in crisis from accessing firearms – along with other measures tied to mental health and firearms.

That same month, the Supreme Court invalidated a decades-old New York law governing gun licenses, pulling the rug out from under gun restrictions enacted in states and setting off a scramble to challenge these state laws.

Following the midterm election, Republicans took control of the House of Representatives in January, ensuring no new gun restrictions are likely to be considered at the national level.

Despite that action by the pre-

Analysis by Zachary B. Wolf, CNN

Head Coach Houston Rockets Head Coach Houston Texans

Students eat lunch in the cafeteria at Chapa Middle School in Kyle on Aug. 24, 2021. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune

vious Congress, and due to the action by the Supreme Court, the basic thrust of that story from last year holds as the US grapples with the aftermath of Monday’s Nashville, Tennessee, elementary school shooting in which three 9-yearold children and three adults were killed. There’s little more the president can do about mass shootings. There’s nothing the new GOP-controlled Congress is likely to do to prevent mass shootings. And there’s reason to think state gun control laws could be in jeopardy. That means this cycle of gun violence remains sad, predictable and permanent.

There have already been 16

shootings at US schools in the first months of 2023, and 405 kids have been killed by guns in America. The total number of child gun deaths was 1,680 in 2022, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

Most states, including Tennessee, still don’t have a red flag (also known as extreme risk) law, according to a database maintained by the activist group Everytown for Gun Safety. Even if Tennessee did have a red flag law, it seems unlikely that it would have stopped the Nashville shooter.

The shooter in Nashville, Audrey Hale, legally bought seven firearms

from five different gun stores in the city in recent years. Hale was under a doctor’s care for an emotional disorder, according to Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake, who added that Hale’s parents thought the one firearm they knew the shooter bought had eventually been sold.

“Had it been reported that she was suicidal or that she was going to kill someone and had been made known to us, then we would have tried to get those weapons. But as it stands, we had absolutely no idea, actually, who this person was,” Drake told reporters.

fter a string of mass shootings, including those in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, last year, I wrote a story with this headline: Why the president, Congress and the Supreme Court can’t – or won’t – stop mass shootings.ck Exc General Manager Houston Astros

President University of Houston-Downtown President Rice University

Texas Black Expo & We All Eat Campaign

CONFERENCE NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE 2023 HOUSTON, TX JULY 26-29 2023 Conference Chair - Myrtle Jones, Halliburton

Changing Lives

WHY THE MASS SHOOTING CYCLE REMAINS PREDICTABLE AND PERMANENT

Everyone headed to events for the NCAA Final Four or other activities over that four-day period will be able to ride METRORail for free!

Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages, a proud partner of the 2023 NCAA Final Four, is providing those complimentary rides on the Red, Green and Purple lines from Friday, March 31 – Monday, April 3.

Know Before You Go

Planning ahead is key to an enjoyable NCAA experience. Street closures and increased pedestrian

RIDE FREE ON METRORAIL TO NCAA FINAL FOUR ACTIVITIES

By StyleMagazine.com - Newswire

traffic near NRG Park, the George R. Brown Convention Center and Discovery Green Park will likely cause delays. METRO offers these tips:

Visit the Final Four page on RideMETRO.org for everything you need to know about METRO services during the tournament including how to ride and a schedule of all events in downtown over the four-day period.

If traveling by local bus or METROLift, purchase transit fare on your smartphone with METRO Q Mobile Ticketing. METRO Q® Fare Card,

METRO Day Pass and cash will also be accepted. Plan trips in advance with the RideMETRO app. Choose the "Plan Your Trip" option. Enter a starting location and destination, and METRO's Trip Planner will provide a simple step-by-step itinerary.

Sign up for METRO Service Alerts. Get real-time information on specific routes, including updates on delays and detours delivered directly to your smart device.

METRO is Ready to Help Team METRO volunteers, along

with additional METRO police officers, fare inspectors as well as bus and rail supervisors, will be stationed along the system to provide directions and help ensure safety. Pedestrians, cyclists and motorists are reminded to be safe and be seen when near tracks.

METRO's Customer Service team can also answer questions and provide trip planning information. Call or text 713-635-4000 for more information. Updates are also available on METRO's Twitter and Facebook pages.

TROLLS BAND TOGETHER

This holiday season, get ready for an action-packed, all-star, rainbow-colored family reunion like no other as Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake return for the new chapter in DreamWorks Animation’s blockbuster musical franchise: Trolls Band Together.

After two films of true friendship and relentless flirting, Poppy (Anna Kendrick) and Branch (Justin Timberlake) are now officially, finally, a couple (#broppy)! As they grow closer, Poppy discovers that Branch has a secret past. He was once part of her favorite boyband phenomenon, BroZone, with his four brothers: Floyd (Golden Globe nominated electropop sensation Troye Sivan), John Dory (Eric André; Sing 2), Spruce (Grammy winner Daveed Diggs; Hamilton) and Clay (Grammy winner Kid Cudi; Don’t Look Up). BroZone disbanded when Branch was still a baby, as did the family, and Branch hasn’t seen his brothers since.

But when Branch’s bro Floyd is kidnapped for his musical talents by a pair of nefarious pop-star villains— Velvet (Emmy winner Amy Schumer; Trainwreck) and Veneer (Grammy winner and Tony nominee Andrew Rannells; The Book of Mormon)—Branch and Poppy embark on a harrowing and emotional journey to reunite the other brothers and rescue Floyd from a fate

even worse than pop-culture obscurity. Featuring Trolls’ signature psychedelic joy-bomb of new and classic pop hits, Trolls Band Together stars a dazzling cast of musical superstars and comedic powerhouses as new franchise characters, including four-time Grammy nominee and Latin Grammy winner

Camila Cabello (Cinderella) as Viva; Zosia Mamet (The Flight Attendant) as Crimp; and 12-time Emmy winning drag icon RuPaul Charles as Miss Maxine. The returning cast includes Grammy, Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Zooey Deschanel as Bridget; Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Gristle, the

Icona Pop duo Aino Jawo and Caroline Hjelt as Satin and Chenille, Grammy winner Anderson .Paak as Prince D, comedian Ron Funches as Cooper, SAG nominee Kunal Nayyar as Guy Diamond and Emmy winning Saturday Night Live legend Kenan Thompson as Tiny Diamond.

Trolls Band Together is steered by returning director Walt Dohrn and producer Gina Shay, and is co-directed by Tim Heitz (head of story, Trolls World Tour). DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls films—2016’s Trolls and 2020’s Trolls World Tour—have sung and danced their way to record-breaking success, earning an Oscar® nomination for Best Original Song and fueling one of the largest and most beloved entertainment brands in the world.

Genre: Animated Action-Comedy

Cast: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Camila Cabello, Eric André, Amy Schumer, Andrew Rannells, Troye Sivan, Daveed Diggs, Kid Cudi, Zosia Mamet, Zooey Deschanel, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, RuPaul Charles, Aino Jawo, Caroline Hjelt, Kenan Thompson, Anderson .Paak, Kunal Nayyar, Ron Funches

Director: Walt Dohrn

Co-Director: Tim Heitz

Producer: Gina Shay

Houston Dash announced that the team has signed midfielder Sophie Hirst and defenders Madelyn Desiano and Jyllissa Harris to contracts. Additionally, goalkeeper Savannah Madden, who joined preseason camp as a non-roster invitee, was also signed. All four signees are under contract through the 2023 season with an option for 2024.

“This is a group of young, dynamic talent that have come in and competed in key positions. Their competitive drive and their quality are things we look forward to seeing on the pitch this season. We’re excited that these players will start their professional careers with the Dash and look forward to seeing their development with the club,” said Dash General Manager Alex Singer.

Midfielder Sophie Hirst was selected as Houston’s first pick, 20th overall, in the 2023 NWLS Draft. At

HOUSTON DASH ANNOUNCE DRAFT PICK SIGNINGS

By StyleMagazine.com - Newswire

Harvard, Hirst finished with 60 career appearances and 56 starts in four seasons for the Crimson. The Seattle, Wash. native also tallied 10 goals and recorded 12 assists throughout her collegiate career. Hirst studied Neuroscience at Harvard and earned Academic All-Ivy honors in her final two seasons.

Defender Jyllissa Harris was selected by the Dash with the 22nd overall pick in the draft. Harris appeared in 107 games for the Gamecocks and set an NCAA record for most minutes played in a career at the DI level with 9,395 minutes played.

The defender scored 16 goals and added 11 assists, earned CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team honors and was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-Southeast Region First Team and All-SEC First Team in 2021. Harris earned her degree from USC in Childhood Education in May 2022.

Defender Madelyn Desiano joins the Dash from the University of California Los Angeles with the final pick of the draft. Desiano led the Bruins to the 2022 NCAA Championship, where she played all 110 minutes of the championship match. Desiano’s goal scored in the semi-final sent her team to the championship match. The defender anchored the UCLA defense helping earn 14 shutouts in 2022 and a team goal against average of 0.55, the lowest since 2014. Desiano is a graduate of the Transformative Coaching and Leadership program of the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies.

Goalkeeper Savannah Madden joined the Dash during preseason camp as a non-roster invitee. The University of Texas product started and played all but 19 minutes of Texas’ 22 matches in 2021, posting an 11-5-6 overall record

with nine solo shutouts, a 0.90 GAA (ninth in Texas single-season history) and a .806 save percentage. Madden was named Big 12 Conference Goalkeeper of the Week four times, 2021 All-Big 12 Conference Second Team and was to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team three times. Madden is a graduate of the Strategic Communication program within the Moody College of Communications at Texas.

Houston kicks off the 2023 regular season this Sunday, March 26 against Racing Louisville FC at Shell Energy Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. CT. The game will be televised locally on AT&T Sports Network and nationally on Paramount+.

HWomen for Amanda Making HERstory: Breaking Glass Ceilings

HOn Thursday, March 23, 2023, Women for Amanda joined together at Kulture Restaurant to celebrate trailblazing women who have taken action to break through glass ceilings and create change in their life and the live of others. The empowerment event was a great way to celebrate Women’s History Month and the 1-year anniversary of Amanda Edward’s Mayoral campaign.

HHouston Hospice 22nd Annual Butterfly Luncheon

The Houston Hospice Butterfly Luncheon welcomed more than 180 guests to The Junior League of Houston, Friday, March 24, 2023. This year’s event raised over $155,000 in support of Houston Hospice and its Butterfly Program for pediatric hospice patients and their families. Emcee Melanie Lawson welcomed and friend of Houston Hospice, Sally Rice, chaired the event alongside Robin Burke, Katherine Lucke, and Catherine Randall, and recognized top donors John P. McGovern Foundation, Cornelia Long, and Nahas Data Source. Guests included: Joyce T. Salhoot, Board Chair, Sue Stiles White, Board Member, AI W. Gatmaitan, Board Vice Chair, Cora and Judson Robinson, Board Members, Staci LaToison, Board Member, Sally Rice, Robin Burke, Katherine Lucke, Catherine Randall, Jill Deutser, Susie Glasscock, Jenny Kempner, Isabel Lummis, Janet McKenzie, Tom and Tamara Jorden, Estelle

Specialized Assessment & Consulting is bidding on Project 22-10-09-A Special Education Services, for the Houston Independent School District. We are looking for possible M/WBE subcontractors to provide the following services:

● Licensed Specialists in School Psychology

● Educational Diagnosticians

● Speech-Language Pathologists

● Occupational Therapists

● Physical Therapists

● Licensed Professional Counselors

● Orientation and Mobility Providers

● Teachers for students with auditory and visual impairments

● Social Workers

● Interpreters

● Translators

If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Specialized Assessment & Consulting at: contracts@specializedtx.com.

CITY OF HOUSTON "DINNER TO HOME" PROGRAM PROVIDES MEALS AND WRAPAROUND SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS

EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNES

By StyleMagazine.com - Newswire

Last week, Mayor Sylvester Turner visited the Dinner to Home program site located at 61 Riesner St. The initiative is a food program designed to help individuals and families experiencing homelessness who may not normally engage with the homeless housing system. Since the program’s launch in November of last year, hundreds of individuals experiencing homelessness have been served.

The City of Houston has partnered with Pastor Rudy Rasmus and the Bread of Life, the Coalition for the Homeless, and SEARCH Homeless

Services to provide meals at over 65 feeding events. The hot dinner is served in a respectful, dignified atmosphere with tables, chairs, trash cans, restrooms, and hand washing stations.

While the program has hosted over 65 feeding events, a hot dinner is not all that is provided, housing assessments and follow ups with SEARCH Homeless Services are also conducted regularly at these events.

“This is just one step. The goal is not only to provide them with a meal but to also put them in permanent supportive housing, so they can eat in

their own kitchen,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “You can’t just tell people to relocate, you must provide suitable and reasonable accommodations close to where they have been, that doesn't inconvenience them, and also provides them with more than a meal. I can give someone a sandwich, but they need a lot more than that, we must put them in a better place so that they can stand up for themselves and live productive lives. This is one step, not the final step.”

The South Carolina Gamecocks have continued their incredible unbeaten run with an 86-75 win against the Maryland Terrapins – setting up a blockbuster Final Four clash against Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes.

The defending champions were not at their best throughout the opening stages of their Elite Eight matchup against the Terrapins and were surprisingly trailing after the first quarter.

As ever, Aliyah Boston led from the front and, along with Zia Cooke, helped South Carolina gain control of

MARCH MADNESS: SOUTH CAROLINA ADVANCES TO THIRD STRAIGHT FINAL FOUR APPEARANCE

By Thomas Schlachter and Homero De la Fuente, CNN

proceedings in the second quarter.

The reigning Naismith women’s player of the year and Naismith women’s defensive player of the year has had another standout season and put on another impressive display when it mattered most.

Boston tallied 22 points and 10 rebounds – her 82nd college double-double – in the victory to lead the Gamecocks to their third straight Final Four appearance.

With the win, South Carolina improved to 36-0 this season and extended its win streak to 42 in a row,

dating back to last year’s national championship season. When asked if this South Carolina squad was the best team she’s ever coached, Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley said, “I mean, this team has been to three consecutive Final Fours. I think they separate themselves from any other team that we’ve been a part of.”

Staley will know her team needs to be at its absolute best in the Final Four to prevent Clark from stealing the show for the Hawkeyes.

Clark became the first player

in NCAA Tournament history – men’s or women’s – to record a 40-point triple-double to lead Iowa to its first Final Four appearance since 1993.

Elsewhere, the Virginia Tech Hokies reached their first Final Four in program history, with an 84-74 victory over the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes.

Led by Elizabeth Kitley’s double-double and Georgia Amoore’s 24 points, the Hokies came back from a first-quarter deficit to seal victory in the Elite Eight.

“It is so huge. I can’t even speak right now, I can’t believe it,” Amoore told