"We're going to win a lot of games", Hawkeyes motivated by their new underdog role

A new year of women’s basketball is nearly upon on us and in Iowa City, Carver-Hawkeye Arena is once again going to be sold out for every home game. The fan support has not changed, but the Hawkeyes themselves are in the midst of a period of turnover. Although the program has advanced to back-to-back national title games, many of the key players on last year’s team are gone. Caitlin Clark, Kate Martin, Gabbie Marshall and Molly Davis have all moved on, as has head coach Lisa Bluder.

While much of the national media is focused on what the Hawkeyes have lost, longtime assistant and first-year head coach Jan Jensen is focused on what her team returns and what they have added. Many preseason projections are forecasting a major step back, but the players on the current roster believe they have the pieces to make some noise as underdogs. They’re taking to heart the “we’ve got next” slogan to heart.

“I think we’re just all focused on the future. I’ve really enjoyed getting this team collectively together, and now as it becomes more and more real,” said Jan Jensen during her media day press conference.

“I think what’s important, especially with them, is that you just kind of keep them looking in the windshield. We talked a lot about just take that rear view mirror down, especially for the returners, but even for the freshmen, because it’s all new and you’ve got to keep looking ahead. The next opportunity is what I really want them to focus on and reminding them that it is a process. It’s always a journey…It’s just really challenging them that to stay in this moment, because if you listen too much to everybody telling you how great everybody else is and how much you lost, then it can seem to be a little heavy.”

If you’re on the outside looking in at the Iowa women’s basketball program, there’s plenty to point at if you want to call for a dramatic drop off this season. The Hawkeyes return just 35.3% of their scoring, 21.4% of their made three-pointers and 23.6% of their starts from last season. Those numbers, plus the loss of Caitlin Clark, are the driving force behind why Iowa has not appeared in several preseason Top 25 rankings and why they were not picked to finish in the top five by the Big Ten coaches and media.

“I feel like every year people are going to underestimate us, like when we lost Monika, people said, ‘oh they’re not going to be as good’,” says senior Syd Affolter. “We have the underdog mentality, so that’s always super important…We have high expectations within our circle.”

“Extra time, extra film, getting here early, staying late, Coach Jan says do what other teams aren’t,” said freshman Taylor Stremlow. “This group has a little chip on their shoulder now, and we know what our expectation is.”

It is true that the losses were significant. There’s no way to directly replicate to the impact that Caitlin Clark, Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall had on the program on and off the court. But that doesn’t mean the current roster is void of talent. Hannah Stuelke is an All-Big Ten forward, while Syd Affolter is ready to take the next step both as a player and a leader after she played a crucial role in helping the Hawkeyes return to the national title game. Throw in the major addition of Villanova point guard Lucy Olsen, who was an honorable mention All-American last year, and Jan Jensen has three players she can rely on all season.

“That is what’s fun because the team, as much as they would have loved another year like we had, another year with Caitlin, they’re also really ready for their time,” said Jensen. “They have the potential to be really fun, really, really fun, and I just want that for them because they’re doing it the right way.”

The key to the Hawkeyes season lies in some of those players that are ready for “their time”. Players like Taylor McCabe, Kylie Feuerbach, Addi O’Grady and Jada Gyamfi haven’t gotten their opportunity to shine over the last couple of seasons due to a veteran heavy roster. The opportunity they have been waiting for has finally arrived. There will also be plenty of chances for an incredibly talented freshman class to make their mark in their first season on campus.

“I think everyone’s discrediting how good this team really is,” said Addi O’Grady. “I know we lost a lot of people, but we’re still the same core system, and we have a lot of talented people on the team. I’m excited to prove some people wrong.”

“We have so many people that are going to be able show (their abilities) this year that haven’t been able to in the past and I’m super excited for the opportunities this team has,” said Affolter.

It’s unreasonable to expect this season to be without a few bumps in the road. That’s to be expected with new players in new roles and a first-year head coach, but this roster has the pieces to outperform some of those preseason projections. Don’t be shocked if the Hawkeyes finish top five in the Big Ten and sneak into the hosting discussion for the NCAA Tournament.

The Hawkeyes will host DII Missouri Western for an exhibition game on October 30th and will open the regular season on November 6th against Northern Illinois at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.