NORMAN, OK – While previous seasons have seen the Iowa women’s basketball team lean heavily on veteran talent to get results, a transitional season has led to several newcomers working alongside familiar faces.
With the graduation of several key players such as Kate Martin, Gabbie Marshall, and Caitlin Clark, as well as the retirement of longtime head coach Lisa Bluder, the Hawkeyes entered the 2024-25 campaign as a very young team under new head coach Jan Jensen.
“This year has been filled with a lot of change, and I couldn’t have been blessed with a better group,” Jensen said during a press conference. “We’ve had a great time growing together, and we’ve had some incredible highs. We’ve had stretches of adversity.”
Iowa rocketed to an 8-0 record early on, giving Jensen the best start to a coaching tenure in program history. Despite the strong entrance, however, the Hawkeyes ran out of gas during a five-game conference losing streak in January, putting Iowa’s NCAA tournament ambitions in jeopardy.
The Hawkeyes would eventually turn their season around, winning their next six games after the skid to propel themselves to the postseason on a strong note.
“When I think back to where we were about six weeks ago, to end up getting a really respectable six seed, I’m filled with a lot of gratitude,” Jensen said. “I’m thrilled to be here. It’s a heck of a field that’s here. I know we have our hands full, starting right off the bat, but boy, I’m just glad we got the opportunity.”
A key part of the turnaround was the lineup beginning to mesh together more efficiently, such as fourth-year Villanova transfer Lucy Olsen, who had four points in a 50-49 loss to Oregon on Jan. 19. Olsen responded by netting 20 points during an 85-61 victory over Washington in the next game.
“We’ve worked a lot in practice [in] different situations, so I think that’s helped,” Olsen said after the Hawkeyes’ 74-61 triumph over Michigan State in the Big Ten tournament on March 6. “All the games that we lost previously, we learned a lot of lessons from that as well.”
Olsen, who previously played in the Big East, also acknowledged the extreme competitiveness that comes with a conference like the Big Ten.
“Every game’s competitive,” Olsen said. “We haven’t had an easy one. We know that each team is going to be tough. I think the Big East is similar, but this is just a different level. We have such a great team that we’re competitive with everyone as well.”
Program newcomers like Olsen and five first-years had to adjust to playing with teammates who had much more program experience, such as fourth-year Sydney Affolter. Affolter stepped into a much larger role as a guard after recovering from knee surgery before the season.
“I think Iowa basketball is always going to be Iowa basketball,” Affolter said. “Obviously Caitlin and Coach Bluder were a huge part of that, and they’ve left such an amazing legacy on this program. But our culture stands what it is before Caitlin was here and after.”
Affolter also noted the team’s shared love for the game that has forged stronger bonds and kept the team together.
“We play for each other and we play with that joy that everyone talks about and enjoys seeing,” Affolter said. “I think we just love playing with each other and love playing for this school. We’re blessed to be here and we’re excited to play.”