The Daily Iowan: What made you interested in becoming a student manager for the Iowa women’s basketball team?
Tanner Henningsen: Before I came to college, I heard about the practice squad that the women’s team had, and I wanted to join that to stay in shape and stay around the sport. After doing that for a season, I saw the culture of the program and was ecstatic to become a manager for the following season. It’s been the most rewarding experience of my life.
Mathew Riedl: I wanted to become a manager because the culture surrounding the program is second to none. When I joined during my junior year as a scout team player, I had no intention of eventually becoming a manager — my main goal was simply to stay in shape and enjoy playing basketball. However, after the season ended and the team made another hard-fought run to the national championship, my perspective shifted. There was no tangible incentive for me to stay on as a manager, but the friendships I had built and my growing loyalty to the program made the decision easy. That combination was more than enough to keep me around, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have served as a manager.
What’s been your most memorable game as a student manager?
Henningsen: I can’t pick just one game, but the first ones that come to mind are Caitlin’s buzzer beater against Indiana in 2023, beating South Carolina in the Final Four in 2023, beating LSU in the Elite Eight in 2024, and beating USC on CC’s jersey retirement night in 2025. There are so many other great ones, but those ones really stand out.
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Riedl: There were a lot of memorable games during my year as a student manager, but without a doubt, the win over a top-ranked USC team tops the list. With CC22 in the building for her jersey retirement, Carver was electric — unlike anything I had experienced before. Playing in front of a loud, sold-out crowd gave our team the energy we needed to pull off a hard-fought win against one of the best teams in the country. The joy on the faces of the players and coaching staff was unforgettable, and it was incredibly rewarding to see them have a moment like that after all the day-to-day work that often goes unnoticed.
What does an event like the Fever exhibition game mean for the University of Iowa?
Henningsen: It’s huge. Everyone who knows the Fever knows Iowa, but getting some people from Indiana to come over to see Iowa City will be great. It’s also a great recruiting tool, not just for women’s basketball but for all sports at Iowa.
Riedl: I think it’s really cool and speaks to the impact Caitlin and the rest of that team had on women’s basketball. The immediate sellout was an indication of the fanbase that remains here at Iowa and supports women’s basketball like no other. It celebrates the success of former players and reinforces the school’s reputation as a leader in women’s basketball. Overall, it’s a moment of pride for the university and a celebration of how far the program has come.
How significant is it to see Caitlin Clark come back and play a game in Carver-Hawkeye Arena?
Henningsen: It’s going to be electric. It’ll be interesting seeing her playing in CHA with a completely new group of teammates from the ones she had in college, but hopefully the fans treat them like Hawks and show them what it’s like to play in front of a sold-out Iowa crowd on a nightly basis. I’m sure she’ll hit some logo threes and put on a show for the fans who haven’t seen her play in months.
Riedl: It’s going to be incredible; the support she has here is unbelievable, and the entirety of Carver is going to be a sea of Clark jerseys. I wouldn’t be surprised if Caitlin puts up some big-time numbers in a gym she’s familiar with and with the crowd behind her. It’s a full-circle moment for the university and all the fans and a reminder of how much she means to the University of Iowa.