The Hawkeyes will be playing in front of a sellout crowd at Carver-Hawkeye Arena for the second straight game on Friday afternoon.

The last time Iowa women’s basketball played at Carver on Feb. 27, it sold out the arena for the first time since 1988. 

Now, the Hawkeyes are hosting the NCAA Tournament. Iowa’s first game in the “Big Dance” will see 14,382 fans — filling the arena’s tournament capacity.

“Yeah, it’s kind of indescribable walking out of the tunnel to a sold out crowd and they’re cheering for you,” senior center Monika Czinano said. “It’s something that not many people get to experience. I hope Hawk fans know how much it means to us, how much it really does help us momentum-wise, and how we love the support.”

Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder thinks the loud environment will be an advantage for the Hawkeyes. While the Hawkeyes are used to over 14,000 people in an arena, Missouri Valley Conference opponent Illinois State averages under 1,000 fans per game.

“I think it’s harder to come into an environment that’s pretty hostile and pretty loud and try to communicate,” Bluder said. “If you’re not used to communicating with your team in that type of environment, it can be tough. If the team itself is not used to communicating with that, it can be hard to hear your play calls, to communicate as a group, and also it can get you down.

“With all these people,15,000 people cheering against you or cheering for the Hawkeyes, I think that can be disheartening. It can kind of take the wind out of your sails a little bit.”

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Redbirds excited for national coverage

The Illinois State women’s basketball team is not used to playing in front of a sellout crowd. Or being nationally televised on ESPN.

But the Redbirds will experience both on Friday afternoon at 3 p.m.

“It’s just, our program gets to be on ESPN,” Illinois State head coach Kristen Gillespie said on Thursday. “We get to put our brand out there. Our 14 players get to showcase everything they’ve done, all the hard work that they’ve put in to get our program back to where it’s at, so we’re thrilled.”

Illinois State won the 2022 MVC Tournament to clinch its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2008.

Redbird junior guard Mary Crompton hails from Iowa City and graduated from Regina High School in 2018. Crompton said she grew up going to Iowa women’s basketball games, but never experienced a sellout crowd at Carver.

“I don’t think I’ll ever have seen Carver as full as it will probably be tomorrow,” Crompton said. “I think we’re all looking forward to the experience, and even if they are cheering for the other team, it beats an empty gym for sure. We’re looking forward to the opportunity.”

Colorado makes NCAA Tournament for first time since 2013, prepares for sellout crowd

The Buffaloes women’s basketball team is in the “Big Dance” for the first time since the 2012-13 season, ending a nine-year drought. Colorado and Creighton will face off on Friday to open the Iowa City hub of the NCAA Tournament.

“I think it’s a lot to do with our veterans,” senior forward Peanut Tuitele said Thursday. “We’ve done a really good job making sure that the team is focused on what’s at hand and taking it one game at a time.So, I think us veterans, it’s our job also to do that because we know what it takes to be as prepared as we can for Friday.”

But in Iowa City, Colorado may have to contend with a sold out crowd. The Buffaloes are used to a large audience, as their Pac-12 Conference opponents can fill up an arena. Oregon women’s basketball averages 7,751 people per game, and Arizona averages 7,648.

Tickets allow admission to both games at Carver on Friday afternoon, and Colorado plays in the first contest of the day at 12:30 p.m. Iowa will play at 3 p.m.

So, fans may not show up until the end of the Buffaloes’ game. But head coach JR Payne is still preparing her players for an increase in communication.

“Our conference draws really well,” Payne said. “So, at Oregon State, we’ll play in front of nine to 11,000 people. Oregon the same. Arizona the same. There’s a lot of teams in our league that draw very well. So, 14,000 is different than 9,000. I don’t know if all 14 will be here for the early game tomorrow, but it will be a great crowd and I know that this community loves basketball.”

Lauren Jensen returns to Iowa City

Former Hawkeye Lauren Jensen will return to Carver-Hawkeye Arena this weekend.

Jensen, a sophomore on the Bluejays’ roster, transferred to Creighton from Iowa after her freshman season in 2020-21. She played in 18 games off the bench as a Hawkeye in 2020-21, averaging seven minutes a game.

At Creighton, Jensen has started 28 of the Bluejays’ 29 games. She averages 12.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.

Although Jensen is in Iowa City for the NCAA Tournament, this is not her first time back at Carver-Hawkeye Arena as a Bluejay. Iowa and Creighton have a closed scrimmage prior to every season.

“Iowa was great,” Creighton head coach Jim Flanery said about Jensen’s transfer. “They texted me and said, ‘you’re going to love her.’ … Ironically, again, our first scrimmage for Lauren was in Iowa City against her old teammates. So, hopefully she’s playing in this building tomorrow, she’s relaxed and understands how good of a player she is.”