The Iowa women’s basketball team has continued its case for a ranking in the AP Poll with a still-undefeated record; although unsuccessful, the Hawkeyes will look to continue the hot streak this week with two new faces.
Iowa kept momentum going strong on Sunday with an 86-73 win in Des Moines over Drake. Initially trailing at the end of the first quarter, the Hawkeyes embarked on several scoring runs in the game’s latter three parts, with fourth-year Addison O’Grady leading Iowa’s offense.
O’Grady was a standout player, leading the Hawkeyes in scoring with 27 and rebounds with 10, a double-double for the center. Other valuable performances included third-year Hannah Stuelke, who had 16 points and seven rebounds, as well as fourth-year Villanova transfer Lucy Olsen, who tallied 18 points, six assists, four rebounds, and two steals.
While a lack of Caitlin Clark has taken away some of the deep, flashier shots that gave the Hawkeyes an edge last season, it has also given Iowa, now coached by Jan Jensen, a chance to boost its fundamentals and work on closer, tougher shots.
“I feel like it all starts in practice,” O’Grady said. “We’re playing against our gray squad guys, and they’re mimicking what the other team is doing, so when we get to the actual game, we’re ready for it.”
Back at it
The Hawkeyes now travel to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for a Wednesday game against a similarly undefeated Kansas.
Ranked ninth of 16 teams in the Big 12, the Jayhawks pose a formidable challenge to the Hawkeyes. Both teams were contenders in the NCAA Tournament last season, with Kansas falling to USC in the second round, 73-55, on March 25.
Iowa, meanwhile, is coming off a campaign that ended at the championship game against South Carolina, but with starters like Clark and Gabbie Marshall no longer with the Hawkeyes, it comes down to players like Stuelke and O’Grady to make up those vital points and plays.
While second-year S’Mya Nichols leads the Jayhawks in scoring with 18 points per game, Olsen is hot on her heels with 17.8 points per game. Possession may also be a deciding factor of Wednesday’s games, with Iowa fourth-year Kylie Feuerbach averaging 2.8 steals per game; Kansas’ Sania Copeland trails further behind at 1.5.
“We graduate a whole lot of points, graduate a whole lot of flashy points,” Jensen said. “You’re not going to replicate that at all. But if we’re not going to average that many points, is there a way that we can get a little better on the defensive side, maybe offset that? So far, I think that’s been a really good focus for us.”
While Washington State doesn’t sport the undefeated record that Iowa and Kansas do, the Cougars have a knack for gritty play this season that will certainly test the Hawkeyes.
In their season-opener against Eastern Washington, Washington State trailed by 12 at the half but came back to outscore the Eagles in the third and fourth quarters and force overtime, leading to a one-point win for the Cougars.
Now 2-2, this determination gives Washington State a platform to potentially hold its own. The two wins showcase this, as does one of their two losses, a narrow 56-52 loss to Texas Tech. The main thing holding the Cougars back in terms of their record is a brutal 94-65 loss to Stanford on Nov. 7.
The games against Kansas and Washington State are both set to receive coverage from the Big Ten Network and the Hawkeye Radio Network.
Iowa will tip off against the Jayhawks at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, followed by a 3:00 p.m. start time against the Cougars on Sunday.