Fans won’t have to wait long in the 2023-24 women’s college basketball season for a look at Iowa in another showcase event.
Fresh off a Final Four trip that included a national championship game loss to LSU, the Hawkeyes will head to the Sunshine State for a holiday showcase tournament.
Per Hawkeye Report‘s Kyle Huesmann, Iowa will take part in the 2023 Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla., from Hertz Arena.
BREAKING🚨🚨
The Iowa Women’s Basketball team will compete in the 2023 Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Florida.
The eight-team field is headlined by Iowa, North Carolina and Kansas State. pic.twitter.com/JgzPY6OVoo
— Kyle Huesmann (@HuesmannKyle) April 6, 2023
Huesmann reported that the event will take place from Nov. 24-26 and will also feature North Carolina and Kansas State. Michigan won this event last season, topping Baylor in the championship game, 84-75.
Other past champions include Middle Tennessee, UConn, Stanford, Baylor, Notre Dame, Texas, Gonzaga and Iowa State.
Caitlin Clark might have the chance to make some history in this tournament if both she and Iowa play well. The all-time single-game scoring record in the Gulf Coast Showcase is 39 points by Kent State’s Larissa Lurken. The tournament scoring record belongs to Wright State’s Kim Demmings who scored 85 during the 2013 showcase.
The Hawkeyes might also have a chance to avenge an early-season loss from last season if it gets the chance to square off against the K-State Wildcats.
That contest could feature some serious star power with the return of a healthy Ayoka Lee for Kansas State versus Caitlin Clark of Iowa. Lee missed all of this past season after undergoing knee surgery.
Lee averaged a K-State record 22.0 points during the 2021-22 season and registered an NCAA record 61 points versus Oklahoma on Jan. 23, 2022.
The rest of the field remains to be seen, but Iowa’s involvement alone ensures that it’s an early-season tournament worth watching.
After a trip to the national championship game, all eyes will be on Iowa next season. The Hawkeyes return the star power of Caitlin Clark alongside fellow returning starters Gabbie Marshall and Kate Martin.
Hannah Stuelke and Addison O’Grady are the two bigs that will be expected to help Iowa overcome the departure of Monika Czinano with progression in their respective games. Beyond that, Sydney Affolter, Molly Davis, Taylor McCabe and Kylie Feuerbach should all factor into the Hawkeyes’ rotation.
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