Sure, going undefeated is nice. But often, how a team rebounds after stumbling tells you much more about who they are than anything else. That is what the Iowa Hawkeyes face now and, if history tells us anything, a rebound back to their winnings ways is coming.
After a tough, overtime road loss at No. 12 Ohio State, the Hawkeyes dropped to No. 5 in the latest AP Top 25 women’s college basketball poll. Their other recent movement comes in ESPN’s newest Power Rankings following this past week’s games. Iowa dropped three spots to No. 6 in ESPN’s newest Power Rankings.
6. Iowa Hawkeyes (18-2)
Previous ranking: 3
This week: vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers (Saturday)The Hawkeyes appeared in good shape for their 16th win in a row, but the game got away from them in the fourth quarter at Ohio State, leading to an overtime loss. Hannah Stuelke, who missed Iowa’s win over Wisconsin with an injury Tuesday, seemed a bit rusty and was 4-of-12 from the field. Clark had 45 points — her 11th career game of 40 points or more. The Hawkeyes made the most of learning from their only other loss, Nov. 16 vs. Kansas State. We’ll see if they do the same with this. – Michael Voepel, ESPN
The logjam around the Hawkeyes begins at No. 3 with the Colorado Buffaloes who also have two losses. It continues to be a bit congested after that. Kansas State, who suffered their only loss versus the Hawkeyes, is at No. 4, UConn who has three losses is No. 5 and the defending national champion LSU Tigers are lingering right behind Iowa at No. 7.
The group is loaded with star power in the likes of Jaylyn Sherrod, Ayoka Lee when she returns from injury, Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers.
There is no shortage of talent in this bunch. It is sure to stay congested until the 2024 NCAA Tournament, which always finds a way of matching these top teams against each other.
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