Teagan Mallegni, Lucy Olsen talk after Iowa’s women’s basketball exhibition vs. Missouri Western
Teagan Mallegni, Lucy Olsen talk after Iowa’s women’s basketball exhibition vs. Missouri Western
IOWA CITY — After three straight years of preseason top-10 rankings and firm expectations before opening tip, defining success for this Iowa women’s basketball season varies in opinion.
All invested know the circumstances. No Caitlin Clark. No Lisa Bluder. No veteran backcourt that came to define Iowa’s back-to-back national championship appearances. Some sort of step backward feels inevitable, mainly because the last two Hawkeye teams nearly took all the steps forward possible. Recalibrated expectations leave a wide range of conclusions for Jan Jensen’s inaugural year as head coach.
Regardless of which route is taken, several pivotal factors will determine the success level of this Iowa campaign. Start with the answers to these 10 questions.
1. Does the Iowa women’s basketball coaching transition unfold as seamlessly on the court as it has off it?
A major reason why Bluder felt comfortable retiring so abruptly was who she was turning the program over to. All indications so far are the culture and cohesion that came to define Iowa’s magical postseason runs will be just as significant with Jensen at the controls. An offseason full of transition has unfolded without a hitch thanks to the familiar faces still around.
Will the on-court transition go just as smoothly? The belief is it will, given how defined Iowa’s basketball identity has become. Although any coaching change is bound to bring at least a few adjustments, those who file inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena have an expectation now for what Iowa’s product should look like.
Gaudy point totals, high assists, transition mismatches, a bevy of 3-point action that invigorates raucous home crowds — these core values haven’t changed within the Iowa program. A new lead voice emphasizing them isn’t expected to alter them either.
Video: Lucy Olsen: ‘All I really do is sleep, eat and play basketball’
Iowa’s Lucy Olsen and Hannah Stuelke discusses a variety of topics at Big Ten Media Days.
2. Can Lucy Olsen find a balance between what’s expected and what’s realistic?
The comparisons are inevitable, even if they’re unfair and unwise. The one who follows the G.O.A.T. of any sport is saddled with this difficult task.
To this point, Olsen has handled all Clark questions admirably without any cause for concern. Iowa’s prized portal addition has transitioned in as the Hawkeyes’ next offensive centerpiece following Clark’s departure, while also operating with a veteran mindset that can handle what is a unique situation. A successful path for Olsen in her final collegiate season — one that showcases her elite scoring ability seen at Villanova and doesn’t engulf her with unnecessary dialogue — feels attainable.
This season, though, is still in its infant stages, where best-case scenarios are thrown around as reality before materializing. It’s easy to articulate a level-headed approach now regarding Olsen-to-Clark comparisons. What happens if the results don’t unfold as smoothly? Will the fan base and everyone invested in the program remain disciplined in that sense?
An important question that can only be forecasted so much.
3. Does a fully healthy Hannah Stuelke make another leap toward elite?
Casually confirming that she suffered a knee injury during Crossover at Kinnick last season — one that lingered all throughout her sophomore campaign — is an on-brand response from Stuelke. The junior forward can be an interview hoot even when she isn’t trying to be.
As Stuelke’s personality continues to shine through more and more, this junior season has a chance to be her most impactful one yet. An offseason knee procedure limited her practice time but restored her health to full strength, setting the table for Stuelke to ascend even higher than she has already. She’s an upperclassman now with ample experience handling an intense spotlight. That should prove valuable on a team resetting its leadership core.
After last season spent primarily at the “5” position, Stuelke should be able to slide over more to her natural “4” spot as long as Iowa’s interior depth proves its worth. That will help limit wear and tear from battling with oversized posts, while still allowing Stuelke to take advantage of her speed and quickness. A spot on the Naismith Trophy watch list accentuates how high Stuelke could climb this year.
Iowa’s Hannah Stuelke reveals how her knee injury started, what’s next
The junior forward had to endure a lot of pre- and post-practice rehab while holding down Iowa’s center position last season.
4. Does Taylor McCabe cash in on her patience?
Today’s college climate hardly promotes patience, emphasizing quick fixes to lack of playing time or unproductive situations. That makes McCabe a bit of an outlier.
Two seasons in a reserve role is what McCabe has on her ledger as she enters her junior season. She’s scored in double figures just four times in 51 career games while sitting behind the likes of Clark, Gabbie Marshall, Kate Martin and others. It wouldn’t have been surprising to see McCabe in a different uniform this fall.
The sharpshooting guard from Nebraska has remained steadfast and believes that loyalty will transform into something great this season. There’s no more pondering or projecting what McCabe can do. Her time to spearhead Iowa’s deep attack is now.
Taylor McCabe thinks Iowa’s offense will be more balanced this season
Junior guard Taylor McCabe sees a group effort from 3-point range and reveals that the team tied in their scrimmage against the men’s gray squad.
5. Speaking of 3-point shooting, can the Hawkeyes unlock more downtown consistency after losing so many shooters?
Another area where there are promising but unproven options.
McCabe will finally get an appropriate number of reps for any outside threat. Kylie Feuerbach and Sydney Affolter (when she’s back healthy) feel like the other top returning options.
What Iowa can get from its “new” pile could be just as significant. Teagan Mallegni’s exhibition performance showcased her immediate potential as a true freshman. Olsen may be on the other end of the experience spectrum but she, too, is new to the Iowa offense and what it demands. How reliable Stuelke becomes from deep as her range expands presents another variable.
6. How does Sydney Affolter’s voice evolve as the season progresses?
Affolter’s practice absence while recovering from offseason knee surgery hasn’t diminished her presence one bit as Iowa resets its veteran core this season. No athlete, though, enjoys leading from the sidelines.
Assuming Affolter returns early in non-conference play as expected, her steadiness becomes paramount as a new roster meshes together. Iowa is in a good spot, having organically found its next authoritative figure with Martin now gone. But a long season presents numerous situations where Affolter’s leadership will be required for the first time.
It could be a losing streak, a slumping teammate, locker-room tension or whatever else pops up over the course of five-plus months together. Most of it will play out behind closed doors, without fanfare or attention. The importance of a voice like Affolter’s, though, can’t be overstated.
7. How many freshmen can take advantage of the ample opportunity in front of them?
Aside from Stuelke two seasons ago, this is the first year since Clark debuted that Iowa will have opportunity for freshman contributions. It’s no coincidence a deep class has entered to take them.
Though Addison O’Grady started the Hawkeyes’ exhibition win, Ava Heiden is still tracking as the freshman who will have the largest role. Jensen has emphasized multiple times how close that battle is at the “5” position.
Mallegni and Taylor Stremlow will start as solid depth options with instant chances to ascend. Aaliyah Guyton figures to return at some point this season while wrapping up ACL recovery, which will boost Iowa’s point-guard depth. Solon’s Callie Levin can carve out a role not far from home.
8. Can Iowa Hawkeyes re-master the underdog role?
While expectations locally feel more optimistic, those who cover the sport nationally have little love for the Hawkeyes.
Iowa wasn’t ranked in either preseason national poll, nor did it crack the Big Ten’s top five released earlier this fall. The Hawkeyes do appear in ESPN’s preseason bracketology but only as a modest No. 8 seed. Many feel Iowa’s days of dominating the spotlight are finished.
Fortunately for Jensen, thriving on disrespect isn’t a new virtue. It’s how Iowa got to the spot before Clark entered and elevated things, and it’s how the Hawkeyes will plow through this season full of daunting foes.
Carver-Hawkeye Arena is already scheduled to host three preseason top-10 teams this year. Capitalizing when elite opportunities arrive is how to master the underdog mantra.
How do the Hawkeyes properly move on from Caitlin Clark? Iowa coach Jan Jensen details the challenge
How do the Hawkeyes properly move on from Caitlin Clark? Iowa coach Jan Jensen details the challenge
9. For all that’s new, how can Iowa maximize the elite experience it does have?
Even with a program reset of sorts, the experience gained the last two years doesn’t just vanish.
Stuelke, Affolter, McCabe, Feuerbach, O’Grady, AJ Ediger and Jada Gyamfi have seen consecutive seasons play out as long as possible, with everything inside them impacting Iowa playing for back-to-back national titles in some way.
It’s not hyperbole with that group. Postseason success doesn’t arrive without months of work before. Those who have seen that up close can best convey it.
10. Can Iowa have its best basketball product on the floor coming down the stretch?
One objective that doesn’t change no matter the roster is playing your best brand of basketball as the postseason nears. Iowa’s last two seasons, in particular, have seen the Hawkeyes master that. Both years saw Iowa lose just one game after Feb. 25 — the final game.
The Hawkeyes have just 12 losses in the last two calendar years, so it’s almost inevitable that more adversity will arrive over the next three-plus months. Even if it does, Iowa knows rounding into form late has the potential to alter the entire season.
Dargan Southard is a sports trending reporter and covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.
