So the former Cyclone transferred to the Hawkeyes ahead of her sophomore season in 2021-22.

“It’s been really good,” Feuerbach said following practice last week. “As soon as I got [to Iowa], I told my parents like right away, ‘I feel like I fit really well with this team.’ They’re all extremely welcoming, and the transition’s been really good, and I really like it so far.”

On a 17-11 Iowa State women’s basketball team in 2020-21, Feuerbach was a mainstay in the Cyclones’ young starting lineup. Feuerbach started 24 of Iowa State’s 28 games, including the Cyclones’ two NCAA Tournament games.

She averaged 5.5 points and 3.1 rebounds while playing 21.9 minutes per game as a freshman and shot 36 percent from the field.

But the Sycamore, Illinois, native will see a fresh start with the Hawkeyes in 2021-22.

“Obviously, there’s a lot of factors that went into [transferring],” Feuerbach said. “I really like the culture they have; the coaching is great… Location’s always a plus, it’s about two hours from my home.

“I love the winningness, the competitiveness on this team. Obviously, it’s just the summer and it’s extremely competitive everywhere, no matter what we’re doing.”

As soon as Feuerbach stepped on the Hawkeye campus for summer workouts in June, the Iowa coaching staff knew she was the perfect fit for the team.

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“It feels like she was here the whole time,” Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder said. “Now, part of that is because some of them played together in AAU, so they knew each other… but it’s natural, it feels like a natural fit.”

In high school, Feuerbach also played with Hawkeye sophomore guard Caitlin Clark on the AAU All-Iowa Attack team in Des Moines — a team that claimed a national title at the 2018 Nike EYBL Tournament.

“I think she made a great decision to come here,” Clark said. “She wants to win, and that’s what we’re going to do. She knows where she wanted to go, and I mean, I’m just excited. She’s one of those true team players… she’s super athletic, and I think the biggest thing is just that she’s going to add really good depth for us and that’s what we needed at times. We didn’t have that depth last year, and she’s going to add another person that can come in, defend, shoot it, drive, and create things for our offense.”

In 2021-22, Feuerbach will add a layer of depth to the Hawkeyes defensive backcourt. The 6-foot guard registered 15 steals and 11 blocks with the Cyclones in 2020-21.

In summer offseason practices, the Hawkeyes put a focus on their defensive abilities. In 2020-21, Iowa ranked 336th out of 336 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball teams in scoring defense, allowing an average of 80.3 points per game.

Iowa State ranked 283rd out of all Division I teams, allowing an average of 71.4 points per game.

As a seasoned defensive player, Feuerbach is prepared to elevate the Hawkeyes’ backcourt.

“I know something they really want to emphasize this year is defense, so that’s something I really want to contribute in,” Feuerbach said. “I really want to focus on my defense for sure this year, but whatever they need, I’ll contribute.”

Although the former Cyclone saw her new teammates as rivals in the 2020-21 season, Feuerbach had no problem fitting in with the Hawkeye women’s basketball team.

[Feuerbach’s] doing amazing,” Hawkeye junior forward McKenna Warnock said. “And I think it’s a really good place for her. She seems really happy, she’s working very hard, and she kind of fits right in right away, so I think she’ll be a really good impact player.”