Creating the Iowa All-Lisa Bluder Era Roster

Lisa Bluder was the head coach of the Iowa Women’s Basketball program for 24 years. She led the Hawkeyes to 528 wins, as well as five Big Ten Tournament titles, 18 NCAA Tournaments, five Sweet Sixteens, three Elite Eights and two Final Fours. The way to amass all of those team accolades is with exceptional players. Lisa Bluder coached 25 players to All-Big Ten honors, eight players to AP All-American honors and two players to AP Player of the Year. Six of the top ten scorers in program history played under Bluder.

So that begs the question, how would you fill out a 15-player roster comprised of the best players from the Lisa Bluder era? It’s quite the challenge and impossible to include every single great player because Lisa Bluder had a lot of them. Do you choose to pick the 15 best players or do you try to build a true 15-player roster? I attempted to do the latter and it was filled with tough decisions. Without further ado, here is my Iowa All-Lisa Bluder Era Roster, starting with a few players that just missed the cut.

Six players that just missed

G Lindsey Meder (1998-2002) – 6th in points (1,906), third in made three-pointers (261)

G Kamille Wahlin (2009-12) – 16th in points (1,483), 6th in made threes (231), 7th in assists (427)

G Kristi Smith (2005-09) – 18th in points (1,455), 8th in assists (412), 9th in made threes (185)

C Bethany Doolittle (2012-15) – 20th in points (1,353), 2nd in blocked shots (278), 20th in rebounds (650)

C Megan Skouby (2005-09) – 19th in points (1,439), 5th in blocked shots (153), 28th in rebounds (518)

F Randi Peterson Henderson (1997-2001) – 942 career points, 15th in rebounds (745)

The Starting Five

PG Samantha Logic (2012-15)

For over a decade now, the Hawkeyes have had an All-American level point guard running the offense. A four-year starter, Samantha Logic got the historic run of point-playmakers started. The first consensus All-American under Lisa Bluder, Logic ranks second in program history in assists (898), second in triple-doubles (6), second in steals (260), fourth in rebounds (922) and 14th in total points (1,546). No one else in program history ranks top 15 in points scored, as well as top five in assists, rebounds and steals.

As a senior in 2015, Logic helped Iowa advance to their first Sweet Sixteen under Lisa Bluder. She put up 39 points, 26 rebounds and 29 assists during the tournament, including a triple-double in their loss to Baylor in the Sweet Sixteen. Some may argue for Caitlin Clark here, but Samantha Logic had to be in the starting five and flexing Caitlin to shooting guard allowed me to put Logic at the point.

SG Caitlin Clark (2020-24)

Not just an all-time Hawkeye, Caitlin Clark is arguably the best we have ever seen in the women’s game. This article mentions many of the great players that came before her in Iowa City, paving the way for her, but she took the reigns and skyrocketed the program to new levels. Over her four years at Iowa, the Hawkeyes won 109 games and advanced to back-to-back national title games.

As for some of her records, there’s so many that you just have to hit the highlights. She is the all-time leading scorer in men’s or women’s history (3,951 points), Big Ten all-time assist leader (1,144), NCAA women’s made three-pointers leader (548) and third in program history in rebounds (990). Caitlin is also the only player in Division I men’s or women’s history to lead her respective conference in scoring and assists for four straight seasons. She was a three-time consensus All-American, won Big Ten Player of the Year three times and won back-to-back National Player of the Year honors.

Putting Caitlin Clark and Samantha Logic in the same starting lineup would be unfair. Not only did the combine for nearly 5,500 career points, they also have 2,042 career assists. I know, I know, Caitlin is better with the ball in her hands, so playing off ball isn’t the best choice. They have Samantha Logic at point guard, she’ll get Caitlin the ball, they’ll be okay. I opted for Caitlin at shooting guard because of her record breaking three-point shooting numbers.

SF Kachine Alexander (2008-11)

It’s not very often that you see a starting lineup with a 5-foot-9 player at the small forward position, but Kachine Alexander had a nose for the basketball and it showed up in her rebounding numbers. Over her last three seasons at Iowa, Alexander averaged 8.8, 10.4 and 9.5 rebounds per game. She ranks fourth in program history in rebounds (910) and is the only guard to be listed among the top ten for single-season rebounds in the program’s history (2010-11 and 2009-10).

Kachine Alexander earned All-Big Ten honors in each of her three seasons as a starter, including First-Team honors as a junior and a senior. Alexander was also a two-time AP Honorable Mention All-American. During her three years as a starter, the Hawkeyes won a combined 63 games and advanced to three NCAA Tournaments.

Lisa Bluder was never afraid to put a bunch guards on the floor, so I find it hard to imagine that she’d have an issue with Kachine Alexander playing the small forward spot. The three guards in my starting lineup? Third, fourth and fifth in program history in total rebounds.

PF Jennie Lillis Baranczyk (2000-04)

As I was putting together this roster, it felt like every player I was considering was a guard or a center. Power forward ended up being a pretty tough position to fill out, but Jennie Lillis Baranczyk was a clear choice to land in the starting lineup. A four-year starter for the Hawkeyes, Baranczyk was a three-time All-Big Ten selection, including First-Team honors as a junior.

During her time at Iowa, the Hawkeyes combined to win 73 games, appear in three NCAA Tournaments and won the Big Ten Tournament title in 2001. Statistically, Jennie is one of the best players to put on an Iowa uniform, which is why she was a no brainer for the starting lineup. She is the only player in program history to rank in the top 12 in career points (1,762), rebounds (827), blocks (114) and steals (190). Additionally, Barancyzk is one of just four players in program history to score 1,700 points and grab 800 rebounds.

C Megan Gustafson (2015-19)

The greatest center ever to touch the court for the Iowa Hawkeyes, Megan Gustafson is one of three players in program history to have their jersey retired. Before it was Caitlin Clark surrounded by little kids asking for autographs after every home game, it was Megan Gustafson. Without Gustafson’s efforts to elevate the program to new heights, Caitlin Clark may have gone to Notre Dame.

She finished her career owning 16 Iowa program records, some of which have been broken by Caitlin Clark, but she still ranks second in program history in career points (2,804), first in rebounds (1,460) and fourth in blocked shots (232). Gustafson is one of seven players in NCAA women’s basketball history to eclipse 1,000 points in a season and she still stands as the only post player to do it.

As a senior for the Hawkeyes, Gustafson led the nation in five categories, including points per game (27.8), field goal percentage (69.6), total points (1,001), field goals made (412), and double-doubles (33). Ranked second in defensive rebounds per game (11), and third in rebounds per game (13.4) and total rebounds (481). She won AP Player of the Year, the Naismith Trophy, the Lisa Leslie Award, Big Ten Player of the Year and was the first consensus NPOY in Big Ten history. Megan put up 27 points and 13 rebounds in the 2019 Sweet Sixteen against NC State to send the Hawkeyes to their first Elite Eight since 1993.

Megan Gustafson shot 65.6% from the floor for her career, including 69.6% as a senior. Putting her in the starting lineup with elite passers like Samantha Logic and Caitlin Clark would be a spectacle to watch.

Coming off the Bench

G Kathleen Doyle (2016-20)

First there was KD22 and then there was CC22. Kathleen Doyle gets overshadowed a bit because Caitlin Clark followed her and Covid made for a weird end to her Iowa career. Don’t get it twisted though, Kathleen could flat out play basketball. She’s the only player on the bench for this team that won Big Ten Player of the Year and was a consensus All-American selection. If you watched Kathleen play you know that her and Caitlin Clark were cut from the same cloth. She had that win at all costs mentality and wasn’t afraid to tell you that she was better than you.

A four-year starter for the Hawkeyes, Doyle helped Iowa to 96 wins, including the program’s first Elite Eight appearance since 1993 as a junior. She ranks third in program history in assists (706), fourth in steals (238) and 15th in points (1,537). Doyle didn’t really emerge as a scorer for the Hawkeyes until she averaged 18.1 points per game as a senior, but she put up 20+ points in 12 games that season. That senior year Kathleen Doyle was absolutely someone that you would want on your team.

G Melissa Dixon (2012-15)

I’m sure there are some people that would want to swap Melissa Dixon for someone like Lindsey Meder and trust me, I thought about it, but this is where making an actual team roster came into play. Meder scored about 500 more points than Dixon did, but only two Hawkeyes have made 300+ three-pointers in their career. Caitlin Clark and Melissa Dixon.

Dixon ranks second in program history in made three-pointers (334), 17th in points (1,480) and has the sixth-best three-point single-season shooting percentage in school history (45.1%). She ranks in the top three in made three-pointers by an Iowa sophomore, junior and senior, while her senior record 124 made threes stood until Caitlin Clark broke it with 201 of them this past season. Dixon finished her career with 22 games with 5+ made three-pointers, including four games with 8+ made threes as a senior. That’s someone I want on my basketball team.

G Ally Disterhoft (2013-17)

It was a brief stay at the top, but for two seasons, Ally Disterhoft was the program’s all-time leading scorer. That in itself made her a lock for the All-Lisa Bluder Team roster. Disterhoft broke the scoring record that was held by Cindy Haugejorde for nearly 37 seasons. The Iowa City native scored 500+ points in a season three times, including a career-high 565 points as a junior.

Disterhoft ranks fourth in program history in total points (2,102), 12th in rebounds (788), 11th in made three-pointers (162), 14th in blocked shots (78) and 18th in assists (313). She’s the only player in school history to rank in the top 20 for points, rebounds, made threes and assists, while also ranking in the top 15 for blocked shots. Disterhoft was a three-time All-Big Ten selection, including First Team honors as a senior. She is one of just four players in program history to either be a four-time All-Big Ten selection or a three-time All-Big Ten selection, with an All-Freshman Team selection.

G Jaime Printy (2010-13)

One of the great shooters under Lisa Bluder, Jaime Printy made this list because of where she ranks as a scorer, shooter and a passer. Again, you probably could have slipped Lindsey Meder in to this spot if you wanted to. Meder was a two-time First Team All-Big Ten selection, while Printy was a two-time Second Team All-Big Ten selection. Both were three-time All-Big Ten selections.

Jaime Printy ranks seventh in program history in points (1,841) and fourth in made three-pointers (252). Lindsey Meder ranks sixth in points (1,906) and third in made three-pointers (261), but the deciding factor to go with Printy was assists. She ranks eighth in school history with 412, while Meder ranked outside the top 25 with just 242.

Caitlin Clark and Jaime Printy are the only two Hawkeyes to earn AP All-American honors as underclassmen. Printy earned AP Honorable Mention All-American honors as a sophomore.

F Johanna Solverson (2002-05, 2008)

Depending on your knowledge of Iowa women’s basketball history, you may not know who Johanna Solverson is, but she grabs a forward spot on All-Lisa Bluder era roster. Statistically similar to McKenna Warnock, Solverson doesn’t rank near the top in most categories, but she appears in a lot of categories. She ranks ninth in program history in steals (192), tenth in assists (391), 16th in made three-pointers (125), 23rd in rebounds (570) and 35th in points (1,130).

The most impressive part of her career is that she was able to overcome injuries and still be a productive player when she returned. As a junior, Solverson became just the second player in program history to amass over 350 points, 125 assists and rebounds and 70 steals in a single season. She averaged 10.9 points per game for an Iowa team that made it to the WNIT Semifinals. Then, she tore her ACL in consecutive seasons and joins Kate Martin as the only Hawkeyes to spend six years playing under Lisa Bluder. Johanna returned for the 2007-08 season and picked up right where she left off averaging 10.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists en route to Second Team All-Big Ten honors. She’s one of only three Hawkeyes to amass over 1,000 points, 550 rebounds, 350 assists and 175 steals (Franthea Price and Caitlin Clark).

F McKenna Warnock (2019-23)

After Jennie Lillis Baranczyk, selecting the next three forwards was a little bit tougher. As I mentioned earlier, most of the all-time greats under Lisa Bluder were guards or centers. So, I started looking at forwards that did a little bit of everything for the Hawkeyes. That’s how I landed on McKenna Warnock.

She played with Caitlin Clark and Monika Czinano, so McKenna was never the leading scorer or the most talked about player. However, she was a consistent player over the course of her four-year career and that’s what I was looking for in this spot. McKenna ranks tenth in program history in made three-pointers (180), 14th in rebounds (755), 20th in assists (287), and 25th in total points (1,277). She is one of just 13 players in program history to eclipse 1,200 career points and 750 rebounds.

F Wendy Ausdemore (2005-09)

The final forward spot came down to Wendy Ausdemore, Randi Peterson Henderson, Hannah Stuelke and Krista VandeVenter. By the time Hannah Stuelke graduates and moves on to professional basketball, she will be on this list, but for the time being, the roster spot goes to Wendy Ausdemore.

She ranks 21st in program history in points scored (1,343), seventh in made three-pointers (221) and has the fifth-best three-point shooting percentage for a season in school history (45.6%). At the time of her graduation, Ausdemore had the Big Ten record for career free throw percentage, knocking down 174 of her 195 (89.2%) career attempts. Over her final three years with the Hawkeyes, Ausdemore averaged 12.7, 11.6 and 12.3 points per game. As a senior, Wendy was a Third Team All-Big Ten selection.

C Monika Czinano (2018-23)

You look at the final career numbers for Monika Czinano and you’d wonder why she isn’t apart of the starting five. Her freshman year teammate Megan Gustafson is the reason why she’s not in the starting lineup, but like Kathleen Doyle, Monika was a non-negotiable player on this roster.

She ranks third in program history in points (2,413), 13th in rebounds (787) and 17th in blocked shots (60). Czinano owns the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 7th-best field goal percentage seasons in school history, while she led the NCAA in field goal percentage as a sophomore and a junior. Monika is one of just five Hawkeyes to eclipse 2,000 career points and 11th in Big Ten history in scoring. Her and Caitlin Clark are the only two four-time First Team All-Big Ten selections in program history.

In four years as a starter, Monika averaged 16.0, 19.3, 21.2 and 17.1 points per game, while she shot 67.9%, 66.8%, 67.9% and 67.4% from the floor. Talk about a model of consistency. If Monika put up a shot, it was going in.

C Morgan Johnson (2010-13)

With the history that Iowa has with centers, being one of the three centers on this roster is quite the accomplishment. Morgan Johnson made the cut for me and landed on my All-Lisa Bluder roster. At the time of her graduation, Johnson held the school record for consecutive games played (130), as she never missed a game during her Hawkeye career. That record was broken by Caitlin Clark who played and started all 139 games of her career.

Johnson finished her career ranked first in program history in blocked shots (293), sixth in rebounds (886), 13th in points (1,582) and posted 21 career double-doubles. Her 79 blocks as a freshman ranks as the third most in a single-season in program history. Morgan averaged double figures in scoring as as sophomore, junior and a senior, including averaging 14.9 points per game as a junior. She joins Megan Gustafson and Tangela Smith as the only players to rank top five in program history in blocked shots and top 15 in career points. Doing it on both ends of the floor.

15th Player: G Kate Martin (2019-24)

It’s impossible to put together an All-Lisa Bluder Iowa team without Kate Martin. Lisa Bluder called Kate one of the best leaders she has ever been around and that’s enough to get her on this roster. Kate grew up a Hawkeye and is the niece of long time assistant and now head coach Jan Jensen. Her effort on the court, leadership and willingness to fill whatever role necessary to help the team win makes her the quintessential Iowa player.

Her stats don’t necessarily suggest she should be on this list, as she averaged in double figures in scoring just once during her career. She does rank fifth in program history in career assists (473), but is just 24th in points (1,299) and 14th in rebounds (756). Still, anyone who was a teammate of Martin will tell you that she deserves this spot. No one else exemplifies the Iowa Hawkeyes more than Kate Martin.