INDIANAPOLIS – Looking to revive a Big Ten dynasty in a new era, the Iowa women’s basketball team fell short. Top-seeded UCLA continued its dominance of the conference with a second consecutive tournament title, defeating second-seeded Iowa, 96-45, Sunday afternoon at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
“It really wasn’t our day,” Iowa head coach Jan Jensen said. “I don’t think we should’ve lost by this margin. I really don’t. I think we just let it get away from us. And that’s on me.”
Iowa won three consecutive championships from 2021-2023 with Caitlin Clark and Lisa Bluder at the helm, and in just the second year of Jensen’s tenure, won 26 games, including 17 in conference play.
The Hawkeyes are still a formidable team, but sit below the title favorites. Three of Iowa’s three largest margins of defeat occurred at the hands of UConn and UCLA, who previously bested the Hawkeyes, 88-65, back on Feb. 1 in Los Angeles.
“It’s an unfortunate reality sometimes, but it’s a good time to face it,” Iowa sixth-year guard Kylie Feuerbach said.
UCLA (31-1) led by 17 points at the end of the first quarter and stayed ahead by double digits down the stretch, leading by 40 points with four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Six Bruins finished in double figures, starting with guard Gianna Kneepkens with 19 points. Teammate Kiki Rice finished close behind with 15 points and a team-high eight assists, winning the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award.
“It’s not like you can just focus on one player,” Feuerbach said. “Everybody is very capable of scoring. So if one person you shut down, the next person is gonna step up and hit their shots. Today, everybody was hitting their shots.”
Second-year center Ava Heiden led the Hawkeyes with 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting, followed by first-year guard Addie Deal with 11 points off the bench. Chit-Chat Wright added nine points and a team-high five assists.
The Bruins showed little struggle in the paint, scoring 44 points to the Hawkeyes’ 16. Whether it was a short jumper from Lauren Betts or an entry pass from Sienna Betts to older sister inside the restricted area, UCLA’s versatility was evident.
Lauren Betts, the reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, captained the Bruins on the defensive unit, which logged five blocks and 15 steals.
UCLA shot 63 percent from the field while Iowa shot 28 percent. The Hawkeyes committed 11 turnovers, leading to 22 points from the Bruins.
“This was as poor as I’ve seen us play transition defense all season,” Jensen said. “Sometimes that’s the mark of a younger team. You can’t reel it in mentally. You’re just forgetting to hustle back.”
Taylor Stremlow scored Iowa’s first basket with a triple from the top of the key, but such would be the Hawkeyes’ only lead of the day. Iowa started 1-of-8 from the floor and committed five turnovers.
Outside of a post bucket from Heiden on a pass from Stremlow, Iowa struggled to go inside as UCLA recorded three blocks. Meanwhile, Sienna Betts did the damage, splitting between Heiden and Hannah Stuelke for a lay-in, then nailing a jumper before the buzzer to finish with eight points in the first quarter. Iowa finished with five points in the frame.
Iowa added 15 points in the second quarter, but still trailed by as many as 25 in the first half. The Hawkeyes scored only four points in the paint as the taller Bruin defenders swarmed any looks Iowa received. Lacking its high-low offensive scheme Iowa shot just 25 percent in the first half.
“Through experiences like this, we can keep stepping up and reach that level, where hopefully, that’s the standard for us,” Stremlow said.
Heiden and Stuelke each earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team.
Feuerbach, who played under both Bluder and Jensen, said Sunday’s result doesn’t define the season. For Stremlow, the Hawkeyes can let go of the lopsided scoreboard for at least one night, but then look in the mirror.
“We watch that film, take our notes, take it to the chin,” Stremlow said. “We’re still really confident in what we can accomplish this season and we can go deep in the tournament.”
Up Next
Iowa is projected as a No. 2 seed for the NCAA Tournament, which begins next weekend on Friday, March 20. The Hawkeyes won’t know their exact seeding or opponent until Sunday, March 15. As a top-four seed, Iowa will host the first two rounds at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.