Monika Czinano says Iowa making national championship is 'huge' for program

Iowa fifth-year forward Monika Czinano finished her college basketball career Sunday in disappointing fashion, fouling out of the Hawkeyes’ loss to LSU in the National Championship. But while she was sad after the loss, she still understood what it meant to even be in the game.

“I think it’s huge for us,” Czinano said after the loss. “It just shows the hard work that Coach Bluder and this coaching staff have been putting in. It was long before this team did this. They’re just doing it the right way. I keep saying it all the time, but we truly are a family. They built something truly special there. I wouldn’t have wanted to do this anywhere else, with any other team, with any other group of people. So it’s truly been an honor.”

Sunday was the first time Iowa has ever made the national championship game. The only other Final Four appearance for the Hawkeyes came in 1993.

The 2022-23 Iowa team finished the season with a 31-7 record in head coach Lisa Bluder’s 23rd season with the Hawkeyes. She has never had a losing record with the team.

In addition to making a national championship appearance, Iowa also won the Big Ten tournament title.

Monika Czinano finishes Iowa career as one of program’s all-time greats

Monika Czinano had big shoes to fill for Iowa when she took over a starting role her sophomore season star Megan Gustafson. As a senior during the 2018-19 season — Czinano’s freshman season — Gustafson had what was to that point the best season in Iowa history.

Gustafson, now a forward/center for the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA, was the first-ever national player of the year. Caitlin Clark became the program’s second national player of the year this winter after her historic season.

Gustafson averaged 27.8 points and 13.4 rebounds per game on an astronomical 70% shooting from the field.

Her all-time total of 2,804 is the most in program history. While Czinano never reached the peak of Gustafson — which is an unreasonable expectation for anyone — but she still emerged as one of the best players in program history.

Czinano averaged at least 16 points per game since becoming a starter. This season, she averaged 17.1 points and 6.5 rebounds on 67% shooting.

Gustafson is still the program leader in points, although Clark with 2,717 points will pass her next season. But Czinano finished her career third in program history with 2,413 points.