Addison O’Grady

Jan Jensen praises Addison O’Grady’s stellar start to the season

Addison O’Grady is blossoming.

Following Iowa women’s basketball’s 86-73 win over Drake on Sunday from the Knapp Center in Des Moines, Iowa, Hawkeyes head coach Jan Jensen praised the confident start to the season from senior center Addison O’Grady. The 6-foot-4 big has taken on the starting role for Iowa in stride.

Thrust into a starting role for the Hawkeyes, O’Grady has been terrific. The Aurora, Colo., product is currently averaging 16.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 73.2% from the field and 77.8% from the charity stripe.

O’Grady led the Hawkeyes’ offense on Sunday, finishing with 27 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks, and one assist in 33 minutes played vs. Drake while shooting 13-for-21 from the field. Highlighting O’Grady’s game was her 14-point first quarter on a perfect 7-for-7 from the field.

Jensen said O’Grady helped exploit Drake’s small ball actions.

“I think if you look back in this series, they [Drake] play that five out. I call it small ball, and it’s really good, and it’s hard if you have a traditional center, Jensen said. “…But that inside presence, if you can stay pretty efficient with how you score, you can counter all of their small ball action.

“So we were hopeful that Addie was going to have a game, but I try not to put that much pressure and expectation because this is the first time she’s really wearing that role. Wearing the go-to, wearing ‘Hey, we’re going to go into Addie.’ And I was really pleased.”

Lily Smith/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With O’Grady’s fast start to the season, Jensen said the senior is starting to shoulder expectations that mirror those of great Hawkeye centers from the past such as Megan Gustafson and Monika Czinano.

“I think the biggest compliment I can give her is I’m now starting to have Czinano and Gustafson expectations. I was kind of cranky at a couple of things she did out there, and that means that the expectations are growing, but I only know they’re growing because I know she can do it,” Jensen said.

With a neutral-site contest against Kansas next up on the Hawkeyes’ docket from Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Wednesday, Jensen will be looking for O’Grady to continue her stellar performance against the Jayhawks.

Tipoff against KU is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network and on the Hawkeye Radio Network.

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Three stars from Iowa women’s basketball’s 86-73 win vs. Drake

Iowa women’s basketball aced its first true road test, topping Drake on Sunday, 86-73. Three Hawkeye stars from the victory.

Iowa women’s basketball improved to 4-0 on the season Sunday afternoon with an 86-73 victory vs. Drake (3-1) from the Knapp Center in Des Moines, Iowa.

The Bulldogs challenged the Hawkeyes at various times throughout the game, most notably when Drake went on a 14-5 run midway through the third quarter. However, the Hawkeyes’ offensive firepower proved strong enough to carry Iowa to victory.

As a team, the Hawkeyes shot 34-for-65 (52.3%) from the field, including 7-for-20 (35.0%) from 3-point territory and 11-for-17 (64.7%) from the free throw line. Iowa also continued their dominance from within the paint this season by outscoring Drake 46-10 in that area.

Defensively, Iowa gathered 41 rebounds (9 offensive, 31 defensive), eight steals, and three blocks.

While many Hawkeyes performed well on Sunday, below are the three stars that guided Iowa to its fourth victory.

Senior Addison O’Grady led the Hawkeyes’ offense Sunday with a career-high 27 points and 10 rebounds in 33:20 of play, earning her second-career double-double.

O’Grady shot 13-for-21 from the field, which included a perfect 7-for-7 performance in the first quarter. The center also gathered one steal and three blocks on the defensive side of the ball.

O’Grady’s impressive showing is exactly the kind of play that the Hawkeyes envisioned heading into the season, and they will look for it to continue as conference play nears.

Lucy Olsen

Lucy Olsen had another impressive performance on Sunday with 18 points, six assists, four rebounds and two steals. Olsen shot 7-for-15 from the field, including 1-for-5 from deep and 3-for-4 from the free throw line.

Olsen’s play vs. Drake is a continuation of a stellar start to her Hawkeye career, which Iowa will certainly hope to extend further with competition getting tougher.

Teagan Mallegni

Mallegni was a key contributor off the bench for the Hawkeyes Sunday as she contributed 13 points on 5-of-10 from the field, including 3-for-7 from deep. During her 14:13 of playing time, Mallegni gathered three rebounds and also dished out one assist.

The freshman guard’s impact off the bench was critical to the Hawkeyes’ ability to keep their distance from the Bulldogs, with other starters getting rest throughout the game.

The Hawkeyes’ next game will also be on Nov. 20, when they travel to the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., for a neutral-site tilt vs. Kansas (4-0).

Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network and through the air on the Hawkeye Radio Network.

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Three stars of Iowa women’s basketball’s 71-52 victory vs. Virginia Tech

Three stars from Iowa women’s basketball’s 71-52 victory vs. Virginia Tech.

Iowa women’s basketball passed their first true challenge of the young 2024-25 campaign on Sunday with a 71-52 victory versus Virginia Tech at the Ally Tipoff from the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.

The Hawkeyes and Hokies started in a back-and-forth affair before Iowa was able to close out the first quarter with a 10-point lead. The second quarter saw Virginia Tech claw back into the game to end the first half down by just four points.

The third quarter saw Iowa expand its lead to a 16-point advantage thanks to stellar defensive plays and 3-pointers from senior guards Sydney Affolter and Kylie Feuerbach.

As the fourth quarter rolled around, the Hawkeyes were able to ride the offensive momentum created in the third to close out the Hokies for a convincing 71-52 win.

As a team, the Hawkeyes shot 46% from the field and 22.2% from deep, while collecting 46 rebounds, three steals and one block. In terms of areas of point production, the Hawkeyes dominated the interior by scoring 44 of their total 71 points from inside the paint.

While the victory over Virginia Tech was an all-around effort by the Hawkeyes, three players stood out as difference-makers contributing to the team’s success in Charlotte.

Lucy Olsen

Olsen finished with a team-leading 20-point performance, making 9-of-21 shots from the field that included 1-for-4 from beyond the arc. Olsen also recorded six rebounds, four assists, a steal, and a block in 39 minutes of play.

While Olsen led the score sheet, her ability to facilitate the ball into the paint to other teammates was a major contributor to the offensive success throughout the night for the Hawkeyes.

The aggressive style of play that Olsen has shown so far is exactly what the Hawkeyes will rely on offensively this season.

Addison O’Grady

O’Grady had herself a stellar shooting performance as she registered 18 points on a 9-for-9 from the field to go along with three rebounds and one steal in 26 minutes played.

The senior center’s perfect shooting night allowed the Hawkeyes to take control of the offensive interior, which was a massive area of production throughout the night for Iowa.

Hannah Stuelke

Stuelke had a solid performance Sunday afternoon as well by scoring 16 points and finishing with seven rebounds and two assists. While her shooting from the field was 6-for-17, she did finish 4-for-6 from the free throw line.

Even though Stuelke’s scoring performance hides behind Olsen and O’Grady, the ability to secure rebounds and push the ball upcourt is a skill that coach Jan Jensen certainly appreciates.

The Hawkeyes now improve to 2-0 on the campaign and return home to face the Toledo Rockets (1-0) from Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. CT. The game is set to be broadcast and air on the Big Ten Network.

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Iowa Women’s Basketball 2023-24 Snapshot Profile: Addison O’Grady

What will Iowa junior center Addison O’Grady bring to the table over the course of this season for the Iowa Hawkeyes?

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.

Iowa women’s basketball, Caitlin Clark roll in NCAA Tournament opener over Illinois State

Caitlin Clark dropped 27 points in front of a sellout crowd at Carver-Hawkeye Arena as second-seeded Iowa rolled Illinois State, 98-58.

Illinois State jumped out to a quick 9-4 lead about four minutes into Friday afternoon’s NCAA Tournament opener after the Redbirds’ Juliunn Redmond hit a jumper. Second-seeded Iowa (24-7, 14-4 Big Ten) didn’t waste any more time after that bringing the sellout Carver-Hawkeye Arena crowd to its feet.

Sophomore guard and national player of the year candidate Caitlin Clark connected on her first of two made 3-pointers on the afternoon to pull Iowa back within a bucket, and, with that Clark make, the Hawkeyes were off and running. Illinois State (19-14) answered right back with a 3-pointer from Mary Crompton, but Iowa junior guard Gabbie Marshall drilled a trey of her own on the next trip down the floor.

Then, Hawkeye junior guard McKenna Warnock tied the game with a layup, Marshall gave Iowa its second lead of the afternoon on a 3-pointer with 3:41 remaining in the first quarter and the Hawkeyes ended the game’s opening quarter on a 17-6 scoring run.

After outscoring Illinois State 22-14 in the second quarter, the Hawkeyes really came alive in the third quarter. Iowa canned 8-of-10 3-point tries to balloon the lead to 74-47. When the 98-58 Hawkeyes’ victory was all said and done, Iowa had registered its most points in an NCAA Tournament game in program history.

𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 & 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 😤#Hawkeyes x #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/OZQau3D1ne

— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) March 18, 2022

The Hawkeyes shot 60 percent from the floor and 46.2 percent from 3-point range. Iowa also hit 20-of-21 from the free throw line to record the Hawkeyes’ best percentage finish from the charity stripe in an NCAA Tournament game.

Clark had another banner day, finishing with 27 points, 10 assists and six rebounds. It was the West Des Moine product’s 25th career double-double and 16th of the season. Iowa senior forward Monika Czinano added 18 points and was a perfect 6-for-6 shooting from the floor to go with a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line. Marshall and senior guard Tomi Taiwo each chipped in 13 points.

“I mean, obviously very excited about this game. Almost scoring 100 points out here tonight. We shot the ball well from all areas. Two, three, free throw line. I think we had 23 assists on 30, or 25 assists on 33 baskets. I love that style. Really sharing the ball really well. Only have 11 turnovers today, so that was great to see. I thought it was a really good game, especially with a couple weeks off here. I was worried about that rust, and I don’t think we really showed any signs of that today.

“But I really want to thank the crowd that came out. I mean, our fans were amazing. Our fans, you know, they braved parking problems today, they braved rain, and they still got here. We are so appreciative of them. But just come again on Sunday. It’s going to be easier. No hospital traffic and no rain let’s hope,” Iowa head women’s basketball coach Lisa Bluder said.

Iowa converted 13 Illinois State turnovers into 23 points and also outscored the Redbirds 24-2 in fast break points.

“Yeah, I think transition is always our best offense. We want to get to that no matter what. Obviously defending in transition is an area that we can still improve and get better at so it’s great to hear that we only gave up two points in transition. But yeah, I think that’s our best offense.

“I thought we got a lot of great contributions off the bench. Obviously, Tomi shot the ball well, Addy came in, so that always helps as well. But yeah, overall our transition offense when we’re doing it the way we should and when we get stops on the defensive end, that just leads to our transition offense. Hands down our best offense and that’s what we like to get to the most,” Clark said.

Iowa advances in the Greensboro region and will meet No. 10 seed Creighton in the second round after the Bluejays beat Colorado, 84-74. The Hawkeyes play at home inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday versus Creighton.

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