ALBANY, N.Y. — It's the matchup everyone in the sports world wanted when the 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket was released two weeks ago.

No. 3 LSU women's basketball and Angel Reese versus No. 1 Iowa and Caitlin Clark in the Elite 8 for one solo spot in this year's Final Four. Let March Madness reign, indeed, as only one of these teams will make it through to Cleveland.

The two programs matched up in last season's NCAA championship game, when Kim Mulkey and the Tigers ran past the Hawkeyes with highest-point total in women's national championship game history with the 102-85 victory in Dallas.

Nearly one full year has passed since that game drew record viewership, peaking at more than 12.6 million people watching, and Reese and LSU and Clark and Iowa will tangle again.

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Clark is the same player as she was when she scored 30 on the Tigers in the championship game last season. Some things have changed as she's become the all-time leading scorer in college basketball history, woman or man, this season, surpassing LSU great Pete Maravich and now currently sits at 3,859.

LSU sophomore sensation Flau'jae Johnson, who'll likely see time defending Clark in the Elite 8 showdown Monday night, said she's going to take the challenge head-on.

"It'll be a good display for me," Johnson said. "It's just like I want to compete at the highest level, and right now Caitlin is the highest level. So if I can defend her, try to contain her and get the win, we'll be fine. There's no stopping her, but containing her, I'm going to take on that challenge."

A lot was misconstrued during last season's NCAA title game and LSU star forward Angel Reese pointing at her ring finger as well as waving her hand in front of Clark's face in the waning moments of the game. Reese has no ill feelings toward Clark, never has, and Clark even came out in defense of Reese in the aftermath of the game.

This next meeting between LSU and Iowa, Reese said, will just be another competitive contest with a lot on the line.

"Me and Caitlin Clark don't hate each other. I want everybody to understand that. It's just a super competitive game," Reese said. "Caitlin Clark is who she is. We're going to have to contain her as best we can. She's an amazing player."

Junior point guard Last-Tear Poa, who spent some time guarding Clark during last year's NCAA championship game, echoed that it'll be imperative for the Tigers to limit Clark as much as they can.

"She's not a regular player at all," Poa said. "She's a walking bucket, no hands about it. But you have to contain her from the half-court line or she's going to shoot it."

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When Alexis Morris got in early foul trouble, Poa was dealt the task of trying to slow down Clark.

"Oh, it was intense. I'm not going to lie, it was intense," Poa told The Daily Advertiser on Sunday. "The whole scout was picking her up from half court and containing her. She is their Iowa team."

Poa was able to find some success guarding Clark as she picked up a couple of charge calls against her, one coming in the second half that forced Clark to the bench for some time.

When Johnson had to switch on Clark last year, she didn't think the shooter would actually attempt some of the shots she did. Not only did she shoot them, they mostly went in.

"Last year I got to switch on her early in the game, and I was like, 'She's not going to pull that for real,' and then she pulled it for real from half court and she made it," Johnson said. "I was like, 'Whoa.' Kind of had spurts and moments getting in switches with her."

Current freshman guards Mikaylah Williams and Angelica Velez watched the national title game last season from the stands as they cheered on their future team.

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It was easy to see from their vantage point how talented Clark was.

"Just her shooting," WIlliams said. "She was shooting from afar. Making great passes. You know, just what Caitlin Clark does."

"She's a great player," Velez added. "She's Iowa's leader when she has the ball in her hands and she has a huge impact on the game. I love what she's doing for the game of women's basketball."

Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at bdiaz@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LSU women's basketball players on facing Caitlin Clark in Elite 8