The most important thing to remember for this season is that the Iowa Hawkeyes cannot directly replace Monika Czinano.
Sure, they will have to figure out how to replace her impact and minutes at the starting center position, but they are not trying to find the next Monika Czinano.
That’s a fool’s errand. Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes recognize this too.
“I think the biggest thing for me that I’m trying to live by is just instilling confidence in them,” Clark told the Daily Iowan prior to the season. “They understand how great Monika was, but they don’t need to be Monika. That’s something we always talk about, is they’re going to be different. They shouldn’t be expected to be Monika.”
Lisa Bluder and Co. have the right mentality. They are not looking to replace a great player in Czinano, but rather to elevate a new star to play with Clark. There is already an understandable amount of hype surrounding sophomore forward Hannah Stuelke, but Addison O’Grady has been making waves since the end of last season.
The junior center played some key minutes late last season and should be an important piece this season. Here’s a look at Iowa center Addison O’Grady.