Iowa made history a season ago with a trip to the national championship game. What does the Iowa Hawkeyes‘ encore act look like for the 2023-24 women’s college basketball season?
As she gears up for the John Deer Classic Pro-Am, the game’s biggest star and the reigning unanimous National Player of the Year sounded off on what Iowa will bring to the table.
“We’re definitely going to be young. I think there’s going to be a few learning curves as we go. A lot of our, some of our offensive stuff will change obviously without Monika (Czinano). That makes a huge difference, but coach (Lisa) Bluder’s a tremendous coach and that’s why I came here.
“She doesn’t just keep the same scheme every single year. It’s really formatted to fit her team and what’s on her team, and I think there’s some different things we’re trying out to see what works. Like I said, we’re lucky we have the foreign trip to really go out and play games and see what works and what doesn’t,” Clark said.
The Hawkeyes announced in May that they would be traveling to Italy and Croatia for a three-game foreign tour from Aug. 4-16.
“I think it’s a great year for our foreign trip. This is when we really need to have some extra time to play together and see what works and what doesn’t,” Clark said of the Hawks’ overseas trip.
Let's travel ✈️🧳
We're heading to Southern Italy and Croatia to play 3 games this August! #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/eplXIy4mx5
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) May 19, 2023
With Czinano and McKenna Warnock both moving on, there will be some new faces expected to step up.
“Yeah, I think it’s definitely going to be different for us, but I think that’s the exciting challenge of it all is bringing the young people along. I’m really excited about Hannah Stuelke. I think that’s very obvious to the outside world is she’s going to be a special player. It’s just getting her to believe that in herself and getting her to believe what she can contribute to this team, because we really need her. So, I would say she’s probably the one I’m most excited about.
“And then obviously our posts are going to be really battling. It’s an open position and that really hasn’t been open in what four years now. So, I think that’s going to be an exciting battle and Coach J’s been putting a lot of time into them,” Clark said.
Fortunately, Iowa brings back all sorts of experience in the backcourt in longtime starting guards in graduate student Kate Martin and fifth year Gabbie Marshall.
“And then, obviously me, Kate and Gabbie as the leaders of the team and trying to get everybody to come along with us,” Clark said.
Iowa brings back fifth year guard Molly Davis as well. The Hawkeyes also return redshirt junior guard Kylie Feuerbach from injury after an ACL tear sidelined her for the entire 2022-23 women’s basketball season. Sophomore guard Taylor McCabe and junior guard Sydney Affolter should factor into the rotation as well.
“Obviously, Kylie (Feuerbach) is back from injury. She isn’t fully cleared yet, but is able to participate in quite a bit of practice so that makes me really happy. Obviously she contributed quite a bit to this team before that ACL injury last year,” Clark said.
While it will be different, Clark is excited to see how it all comes together.
“It’s going to be a really fun year for us. I think our fans are going to be really excited. It’s going to be here before we know it and I’m just going to try to soak in every single second of it,” Clark said.
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