BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – This story is part of a series that will continue through October. Is Indiana better than each of its Big Ten opponents?
Nine categories were chosen. There will be no ties in individual categories. Think of it like you would the Supreme Court.
The categories: Point guard play, free throw shooting, inside scoring, perimeter shooting, rebounding, perimeter defense, rim protection, how much proven Power Five talent is on the roster, and intangibles.
The daily series will cover both the men’s and women’s basketball teams, and it will alternate between the teams.
Iowa’s women are next in the series as the winds of change howl in Iowa City.
Guard Caitlin Clark (31.6 ppg, 8.9 apg, 7.4 rpg) wasn’t just a great player. She was a cultural phenomenon. With her fame and game with the WNBA’s Indiana Fever, the Hawkeyes will no longer be at the center of the women’s college basketball universe.
It isn’t just Clark who moved on. Familiar faces Kate Martin (13.1 ppg), Gabbie Marshall (6.1 ppg) and Molly Davis (5.9 ppg) are also gone. So is coach Lisa Bluder, who retired after taking Iowa to the national championship game in consecutive seasons. Long-time assistant Jan Jansen takes over for Bluder.
If you think the Hawkeyes are due for a fall, you might be mistaken. Post player Hannah Stuelke enters her upperclassmen years. Guard Sydney Affolter will take on a larger role, but the impact player for Iowa is one of the biggest transfers coming into the Big Ten.
Villanova guard Lucy Olsen (23.3 ppg) was a honorable mention All-American and will ensure that the Caitlin Clark-sized void in the backcourt won’t swallow up the Hawkeyes.
Here’s how the battle between the Hoosiers and Hawkeyes shakes out.
• Point guard play – If Olsen can repeat what she did at Villanova, she’s a potential All-American. Olsen (3.8 apg) rarely sees the bench and takes a high volume of shots as she averaged 20.3 shots per game in 2024 for the Wildcats. Sound familiar? But she doesn’t shoot as well as Clark. Olsen converted 29.4% from 3-point range in 2024, though she shot 35% the previous season.
Indiana’s Chloe Moore-McNeil tops Olsen in assists per game and shooting, and she isn’t far off in rebounds or steals – a sign that Moore-McNeil is considerably underrated. Still, Olsen gets the edge because of her scoring. But it’s closer than one might think. Edge: Iowa.
• Free throw shooting – Sydney Affolter (83%) and Olsen (80.7%) are both dependable at the line. There is potential for other Hawkeyes to be just as good, but the sample size is too small as many Iowa reserves played very sparingly in 2024. Indiana has three players – Shay Ciezki, Sydney Parrish and Moore-McNeil – who shoot over 70% who are more proven. Edge: Indiana.
• Inside scoring – One Iowa stalwart who remains is Stuelke. The junior converts at a very efficient rate at the rim as she made 62.7% of her shots. Stuelke (14 ppg) was Iowa’s second-leading scorer, and her proven production gives the Hawkeyes the edge here over potential production from Indiana’s Lilly Meister and Karoline Striplin. Edge: Iowa.
• Perimeter shooting – With Clark gone, Iowa takes a major hit in this department. As far as proven shooters, only Affolter cleared the 30% bar in 2024. There’s potential here with reserve guards Taylor McCabe and Kennise Johnson, but nothing proven yet. Indiana’s trio of 40%-plus shooters – Yarden Garzon, Parrish and Moore-McNeil – are an almost unbeatable trio in this category. Edge: Indiana.
• Rebounding – Iowa is more proven in this department, though there’s certainly potential here for Indiana. Stuelke (6.6 rpg), Affolter (6.4 rpg) and Olsen (4.8 rpg) top the numbers from Indiana’s best three rebounders from 2024. Edge: Iowa.
• Perimeter defense – Affolter and Olsen are disruptive on the perimeter as both averaged more than a steal per game. Within Big Ten play, Iowa led the league in 3-point field goal defense at 31%. Some of the players who helped make that happen are gone, but the Hawkeyes still have the DNA to get the job done. Edge: Iowa.
• Defense at the rim – Meister and Striplin both sometimes get a disadvantage in the frontcourt categories due to being reserves in 2024, but advanced stats can paint a positive picture for them. In this case, both Meister and Striplin have superior advanced stats to Stuelke in defensive box plus-minus, which adjusts for minutes played. Indiana ranked higher in two-point field goal defense in conference play too, so the Hoosiers get the benefit of the doubt. Edge: Indiana.
• Proven Power 5 ability on roster – The standard here is whether a player averaged 25 minutes or more at the Power Five level at their current or former school.
Olsen is the only player on the Iowa roster who makes the cut, though Stuelke and Affolter missed by just fractions. However, even if they’re added, Indiana still has more Power Five experience advantage as Ciezki, Garzon, Moore-McNeil and Parrish all clear the 25-minute threshold. Edge: Indiana.
• Intangibles – Put simply, Iowa has a lot more flux to contend with than Indiana. Jensen is a new coach who isn’t really new … she’s been on Iowa’s staff since 2000. However, the churn of players is significant. Then you take into account how much this team was used to playing everything through Clark, and it’s a lot of change to absorb all at once. Indiana doesn’t have the same worries even as the Hoosiers also enter a world without their best player from 2024 – Mackenzie Holmes. Edge: Indiana.
• Verdict – Indiana takes this one 5-4, but it was tight. These two teams have fought at the top of the Big Ten for the last three seasons. It will be interesting to see where they are in the Big Ten pecking order as the 2025 season plays out.
Previous Is Indiana Better Than Women’s Basketball Results
Oregon – Indiana 5-4.
Rutgers – Indiana 5-4.
Maryland – Maryland 7-2.
USC – USC 6-3.
Penn State – Indiana 8-1.
Minnesota – Indiana 6-3.
Michigan – Indiana 9-0.
UCLA – UCLA 8-1.
Ohio State – Ohio State 5-4.
