Per the Associated Press, Iowa women’s basketball is one step off the top of the ladder ahead of the 2023 women’s NCAA Tournament.
Off the back of their second straight Big Ten Tournament championship, Iowa has jumped up to No. 2 in the latest AP Poll. The Hawkeyes defeated fourth seed Ohio State handily, 105-72, in a Caitlin Clark masterclass.
The star guard registered her 10th career triple double with 30 points, 17 assists and 10 rebounds in the championship win over the Buckeyes.
Released this morning, Iowa saw themselves leap over a few teams, jumping five spots from No. 7 to second nationally. They overtook Big Ten regular season champions Indiana in the process.
They are one of three Big Ten squads featured in the top 10, joined by Indiana and Maryland who fell back one slot to No. 6. Undefeated SEC champs South Carolina still hold the top spot in the rankings.
No. ✌️
We’re ranked No. 2 in the latest AP Poll! #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/bqVXzaFkFG
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) March 6, 2023
It has been a massive stretch of games for Lisa Bluder’s squad, gaining revenge on the top-two contenders in the Big Ten in rapid succession. Iowa avenged a close loss at the hands of Indiana earlier in the season by ending their regular season with the shot of dreams by Caitlin Clark at the buzzer to win, 86-85.
Gabbie Marshall’s stellar shooting performance helped lift the Hawkeyes over Maryland to reach the Big Ten Championship game. The 5-foot-9 senior guard knocked down seven 3-pointers against Maryland to key Iowa’s 89-84 semifinal win. This came just weeks after the Hawkeyes were blindsided by a 96-68 loss to the Terps, probably the biggest low point of the season.
The thing about this Hawkeyes team is those low points do not stick around for long. They’ve shown a great ability to learn from a big loss and to bounce back better than ever.
The Hawkeyes will find out their NCAA Tournament fate during the NCAA women’s basketball selection show on Sunday, March 12 at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN.
[lawrence-auto-related count=5]
[mm-video type=playlist id=01fvdcxf97xrgg1awc player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.
Follow Jacob on Twitter: @Jacobkeppen