Former Iowa women’s basketball guard Lauren Jensen made a triumphant return to Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Friday afternoon.

The sophomore, who now starts for Creighton, scored 16 points in the 10th-seeded Bluejays’ 84-74 victory over seventh-seeded Colorado in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Now, Jensen will go up against her former teammates for a trip to the Sweet 16 in Greensboro, North Carolina.

But this isn’t Jensen’s first trip back to Iowa City to face the Hawkeyes as a Bluejay. Every October, Iowa hosts Creighton in a closed scrimmage before the season starts.

“We were here in October, so I feel like that’s helped,” Jensen said of being back at Carver on Saturday. “I’ve seen the team, I’ve played against the team, and there’s no bad blood or hard feelings or anything, so that’s good, but I’m excited. You know, it’s kind of fun to be back here and playing in Carver.”

Jensen came to the Iowa women’s basketball program in 2020-21 as a freshman. She averaged seven minutes per contest in 18 games off the bench for the Hawkeyes. On April 21, 2021, she announced that she was going to leave Iowa.

On April 30, 2021, Jensen announced on Twitter that she was going to join the Creighton women’s basketball program. The Big East team out of Omaha, Nebraska, recruited her in high school before she originally decided to commit to the Hawkeyes.

“So, when I decided to enter the portal, I had some places in mind, with obviously Creighton being one of them,” Jensen said. “But I kind of approached it with more of an open mind and wanting to talk to, you know, give the majority of schools a chance. I ended up picking Creighton, and I knew it would be the right fit.”

Jensen stepped into a starting role when she joined the Creighton program. The sophomore out of Lakeville, Minnesota, has started 29 of the Bluejays’ 30 games, averaging 12.4 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.

The BIG EAST Co-Most Improved Player of the Year is also effective from 3-point range with a 43.7 shooting percentage. 

Jensen was also named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team in her first year in the conference. Teammate Emma Ronsiek is an All-BIG EAST first-teamer.

“We’ll have a game plan to try to defend [Ronsiek] just like we have to defend Lauren Jensen, who is a tremendous 3-point shooter,” Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder said.

But the Hawkeyes’ don’t think Jensen’s familiarity with Iowa will be an advantage — or a disadvantage — come Sunday. 

“I’m not sure if I would say we have an advantage or she has an advantage,” Hawkeye sophomore Caitlin Clark said. “I really wouldn’t say that because we haven’t played with her or against her really other than once the whole year. So, I wouldn’t really say that now.” 

Jensen and the Bluejays will match up against the second-seeded Hawkeyes on Iowa’s home court on Sunday at noon. The game is sold out at Carver-Hawkeye Arena and will be aired on ABC.