Iowa women’s basketball focusing on mental, physical recovery ahead of No. 12 Michigan
After a loss to Maryland on Tuesday, Iowa only had one day to prepare for its matchup against Michigan Thursday.
Iowa Guard Caitlin Clark launches from deep near the logo. Clark extended her 30-point scoring streak to four games with this shot with 32.9 seconds to go during a women’s basketball game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Penn State Nittany Lion’s at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021. Iowa Defeated Penn State 96-78.
February 24, 2021
After a tough 40 minutes of game time on the road against No. 8 Maryland on Tuesday, Iowa only has one day to prepare for No. 12 Michigan at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Thursday.
Tuesday’s game was the high-scoring affair that was expected out of the No. 1 and No. 2 scoring teams in the country, with Iowa unable to stage a comeback, losing 111-93 to the top team in the Big Ten.
But with losses, come lessons learned for the Hawkeyes. Although Iowa stayed evenly matched with Maryland through the final 30 minutes of the game, Iowa gave up 41 points in the first quarter while only scoring 21.
“I think if you want to beat a top ranked team, you can’t have any let-ups or slip-ups,” freshman point guard Caitlin Clark said. “I think that first quarter [on Tuesday] showed us that you’re not going to be able to win if that happens.”
And 48 hours later, Iowa is matching up against the second-best Big Ten team at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, with the game being aired on BTN.
With the quick turnaround, Iowa is emphasizing the importance of taking care of themselves mentally, including moving on from tough losses.
“Short-term memory is very important, especially during this time of the season,” sophomore guard Kate Martin said. “Obviously we didn’t get the outcome we wanted [Monday], but we just got to move on and get the outcome that we do want the next game. I think that’s really important, just focusing up on our next opponent, and we can’t dwell on the past.”
The Hawkeyes also need to take care of themselves physically, as this is the second game of a three-game, six-day stretch.
“Definitely just taking care of your body is super important,” Clark said. “Especially when you’re going into a game under 48 hours of your last.”
RELATED: Disastrous first quarter dooms Iowa women’s basketball in loss to Maryland
Wednesday’s practice consisted of mostly scouting for Iowa, as head coach Lisa Bluder is making sure that her team isn’t overexerting themselves on the court.
“We have to be very cognizant of their fatigue, their legs,” Bluder said. “So, it will be a mental prep — a lot of film watching and walking through.”
And Iowa (12-7 overall, 8-7 Big Ten) has a tough scout in Michigan’s (13-2, 8-2) Naz Hillmon. The 6-foot-2 junior forward is a force for the Wolverines, achieving 11 double-doubles in 15 games. Hillmon is a front-runner for the Big Ten Player of the Year, living up to her Preseason Co-Big Ten Player of the Year recognition.
Hillmon has been averaging 30 points per game in the past five games. And Clark, who has five consecutive 30-point games, is one of the only Hawkeyes that could match up to Hillmon. Clark and Hillmon played together on Team USA during their time in Japan.
“More than anything, [Hillmon is] just a great person,” Clark said. “A great leader. She’s someone you want on your team… she’s definitely highlighted on our scouting chart, so we’re going to do our best to keep her under control.”
