Tag: Iowa women’s basketball

Takeaways as No. 16 Indiana stuns No. 4 Iowa women’s basketball

The No. 4 Iowa Hawkeyes fell at No. 16 Indiana, 86-69. Here’s the key takeaways from the night as the Hoosiers stunned the Hawkeyes.

I am formally petitioning our site editor to stop having me take over the takeaway articles because only bad things happen when I do.

The No. 4 Iowa Hawkeyes faced a significant challenge in the No. 16 Indiana Hoosiers on Thursday night. Traveling to Bloomington, the Hawkeyes faced a team seeking revenge after being on the receiving end of an 84-57 blowout victory against the Hawkeyes earlier this year on Jan. 13. The Hoosiers were determined to come away with the upset victory and surged on by the home crowd, defeating Iowa 86-69.

This was one of those games that you could kind of see the writing on the wall early on. Indiana was doing everything right, while seemingly nothing was going right for the Hawkeyes.

Indiana was intense on defense, throwing everything at Clark and daring the other Hawkeyes to make their shots. Neither did this night. Nobody on the Hawkeyes could defend either on the other end, pretty much letting Indiana score at will.

Iowa doesn’t lose very often, but when they do, it’s in the most frustrating and worrying ways. Here are the takeaways.

Social media reacts as Iowa’s second-half rally comes up short at Indiana

Social media reacted as No. 4 Iowa’s second-half rally was never fully realized in an 86-69 loss at No. 16 Indiana.

It just wasn’t the Iowa Hawkeyes‘ night. That much was clear pretty much throughout.

Instead of Iowa (23-4, 12-3 Big Ten) taking a big step forward toward a potential No. 1 seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, the Hawkeyes will be left to wonder what this means in terms of the Big Ten race. Did No. 4 Iowa just cough up its chance at the Big Ten regular season crown with this 86-69 loss at No. 16 Indiana?

Though Iowa made several inspired pushes, the Hawkeyes couldn’t overcome a deficit that quickly ballooned to 16 points early in the third quarter and stayed at double figures for most of the second half.

Iowa couldn’t overcome the big night from Indiana star graduate forward Mackenzie Holmes. The 6-foot-3 big finished with 24 points and nine rebounds on 11-of-16 shooting.

Fifth-year senior guard Sara Scalia had a huge game for the Hoosiers, too. Scalia finished with a game-high 25 points on 7-of-14 shooting, including 3-of-8 3-point marksmanship.

Give Indiana credit defensively, too. After pouring in 20 points in the game’s first 20 minutes, Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark added just four points on 2-of-13 shooting in the second half. She shot 0-for-7 from 3-point range after halftime.

Iowa graduate guard Kate Martin added 19 points and sophomore forward Hannah Stuelke finished with 10. The Hawkeyes shot just 38.8% from the field and only 17.9% from 3-point distance.

Meanwhile, Indiana burned Iowa for 51.6% field goal shooting and 42.9% 3-point shooting.

Iowa will return home for its Pink Game versus Illinois on Sunday in Iowa City at noon CT.

Hawkeye fans were understandably disappointed with the loss across social media, but a good number were ready to chalk this loss up as a forget-about-it and move on type of performance.

Iowa women’s basketball to face Kansas inside Sanford Pentagon next November

See you in Sioux Falls! Iowa women’s basketball will play Kansas next season inside the Sanford Pentagon on Nov. 20, 2024.

Several pieces of the puzzle for the Iowa Hawkeyes‘ 2024-25 women’s college basketball schedule have been trickling out over the past week.

As one of the nation’s biggest draws in women’s college basketball, it’s no surprise to see that venues and events are clamoring to welcome in Iowa early next season.

Just like this past season, Iowa will be taking part in another inaugural, early-season showcase event. The Hawkeyes were recently announced as part of the inaugural Women’s Champions Classic.

The four-team event will feature a doubleheader of games in New York City between Iowa and fellow traditional power programs Connecticut, Louisville and Tennessee. In its second game this season, Iowa faced then-No. 5 Virginia Tech in the inaugural Ally Tipoff in Charlotte, N.C.

Now, another piece of Iowa’s 2024-25 schedule has come to light.

The Hawkeyes will face the Kansas Jayhawks on Nov. 20 from inside the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. In women’s college basketball, the Sanford Pentagon played host to South Dakota versus South Carolina State and then-No. 23 Creighton versus North Dakota State to open up the 2023-24 season in November.

It has also played host to women’s programs such as Drake, Wichita State, South Carolina, Gonzaga and Omaha.

In men’s college basketball, the Iowa Hawkeyes have played inside the Sanford Pentagon on three occasions. Iowa beat Colorado, 80-73, on Dec. 22, 2017, Iowa lost to then-No. 1 Gonzaga, 99-88, on Dec. 19, 2020 and Iowa beat Utah State, 94-75, on Dec. 18, 2021.

Fellow Power Five men’s basketball programs such as Wisconsin, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Minnesota, Vanderbilt, Nebraska, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Washington, Baylor, Auburn and Oregon State have all played inside Sanford Pentagon.

Tickets will go on sale to the general public Feb. 29 at 10 a.m. CT and they can be purchased here.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnREF

Iowa Hawkeyes chosen as part of inaugural four-team Women’s Champions Classic

Iowa will take part in another early-season showcase event next year when it takes part in the Women’s Champions Classic in New York City.

Iowa women’s basketball will take part in another showcase event to begin the 2024-25 hoops season.

After being featured this season in the inaugural Ally Tipoff in Charlotte, N.C., versus then-No. 5 Virginia Tech, the Hawkeyes are getting the prime time treatment again early next season in another inaugural event.

Iowa was announced as one of four programs chosen for the inaugural Women’s Champions Classic. It’s set for Dec. 7, 2024, from inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

The prime time doubleheader will feature Iowa, Connecticut, Louisville and Tennessee.

Iowa’s opponent and tipoff time is yet to be announced. Between the four programs, they have combined for 19 NCAA Division I national championships, they have appeared in 46 Final Fours and they have won 120 conference titles.

This Women’s Champions Classic is being jointly put on by Horizon Sports & Experiences (HS&E) and Fox Sports.

“Interest in women’s sports continues to experience exponential growth and basketball is leading the way with viewership and attendance records continually being set,” said David Levy, Co-CEO of HS&E. “This moment feels like the right time to launch the Women’s Champions Classic, set in the mecca of basketball, and we are proud to have these four storied programs participate in our inaugural event.

“The Women’s Champions Classic will serve as a platform to showcase the remarkable talent and unwavering dedication of these teams and student-athletes in primetime on Fox, captivating audiences far and wide. Together with our partners at Fox, we look forward to igniting excitement and celebration around women’s basketball while honoring the exceptional student-athletes who make it shine.”

Jordan Bazant, Fox Sports’ executive vice president, shared why this inaugural event is so exciting for Fox.

“The Women’s Champions Classic is the next step in Fox Sports’ longstanding commitment to elevating women’s athletics, and we are eager to showcase these student-athletes at the highest level – in primetime on the Fox broadcast network,” Bazant said. “Alongside our partners at HS&E, the exceptional participating schools and their conferences, we could not be more excited to bring the Women’s Champions Classic to college hoops fans around the nation.”

Tickets for the 2024 Women’s Champions Classic will go on sale in March. For more information, fans can visit womenschampionsclassic.com.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnREF

USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll keeps Iowa Hawkeyes at No. 4

The USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll kept the Hawkeyes steady in this week’s poll. Iowa is at No. 4.

With just four remaining games left in the regular season, the Iowa Hawkeyes still have plenty of chances to notch two massive victories. The USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll has done them a favor by setting up two chances at quality wins.

Up first is a matchup with the No. 16 Indiana Hoosiers on the road followed by a season finale at home against the current No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes. Iowa can play themselves into a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament by winning out and building their resume with two statement victories.

Like the ESPN Power Rankings and the AP Top 25 Poll, the Hawkeyes stay put at No. 4 after the 1-0 week. The Big Ten Conference race could come down to the final matchup inside Carver-Hawkeye, but the Hawkeyes must handle their trio of games before that first to set the stage.

Here is a full look at the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll:

Rank Team Record Points Change
1 South Carolina 25-0 800 –
2 Ohio State 22-3 761 –
3 Stanford 23-3 730 –
4 Iowa 23-3 697 –
5 Texas 24-3 659 –
6 North Carolina State 23-3 637 +1
7 USC 20-4 584 +3
8 Virginia Tech 22-4 527 +5
9 Kansas State 22-4 511 -3
10 LSU 22-4 510 +1
11 Colorado 20-5 466 -3
12 UCLA 20-5 434 -3
13 UConn 23-5 433 +1
14 Oregon State 21-4 394 +1
15 Gonzaga 26-2 383 +1
16 Indiana 21-4 348 -4
17 Syracuse 22-4 265 +3
18 Notre Dame 19-6 243 -1
19 Utah 19-7 207 +3
20 Louisville 21-6 202 -2
21 Creighton 21-4 177 -2
22 West Virginia 22-3 154 +1
23 Princeton 20-3 96 +1
24 Baylor 19-6 72 -3
25 Oklahoma 18-7 44 –

Schools Dropped Out

n/a

Others Receiving Votes

UNLV 30; Saint Joseph’s 15; Fairfield 5; Ball State 5; Tennessee 4; Michigan State 3; Richmond 2; Florida State 1; Duke 1;

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Riley on X: @rileydonald7

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. Hawkeyes Wire operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

Iowa Hawkeyes hold at No. 4 in AP Top 25 Women’s College Basketball Poll

This week sees no movement in the AP Top 25 Women’s College Basketball Poll for the Hawkeyes. Iowa sits at No. 4 in this week’s poll.

Just as the ESPN women’s college basketball power rankings held the Iowa Hawkeyes at No. 4, this week’s AP Top 25 Women’s College Basketball Poll has done the same. The Hawkeyes see themselves holding steady at No. 4 in the poll this week.

Iowa only had one contest this week, a strong win against Michigan which saw Caitlin Clark break the NCAA women’s basketball scoring record on her way to being ESPN’s Player of the Week as she poured in 49 points.

The Hawkeyes get a chance for a statement win this week when they hit the road to take on the No. 14 Indiana Hoosiers in a premier Big Ten matchup on Thursday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. CT.

The top six teams in this week’s poll held steady as they all took care of business with wins in their most recent games. Here is a look at the entire AP Top 25 Women’s College Basketball Poll:

Rank Team Record Points Change
1 South Carolina 25-0 875 –
2 Ohio State 22-3 824 –
3 Stanford 23-3 804 –
4 Iowa 23-3 742 –
5 Texas 24-3 730 –
6 North Carolina State 23-3 714 –
7 USC 20-4 654 +3
8 Virginia Tech 22-4 593 +4
9 Oregon State 21-4 554 +2
10 Kansas State 22-4 520 -3
11 Colorado 20-5 519 -3
12 UCLA 20-5 497 -3
13 LSU 21-4 465 –
14 Indiana 21-3 446 –
15 UConn 22-5 423 –
16 Gonzaga 26-2 326 +1
17 Syracuse 22-4 272 +2
18 Utah 19-7 246 +4
19 Notre Dame 18-6 242 -3
20 Louisville 21-6 228 -2
21 Creighton 21-3 201 -1
22 West Virginia 22-3 172 +2
23 Oklahoma 18-7 94 –
24 Baylor 19-6 88 -3
25 Princeton 20-3 66 –

Schools Dropped Out

n/a

Others Receiving Votes

UNLV 41, Fairfield 28, North Carolina 4, Saint Joseph’s 4, Mississippi St. 2, Tennessee 1.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Riley on X: @rileydonald7

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. Hawkeyes Wire operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

Iowa Hawkeyes hold serve at No. 4 in latest ESPN Power Rankings

Iowa had just one game this week but the strong showing in the win has them holding serve in the latest ESPN Power Rankings.

After a small stumble, the Iowa Hawkeyes showed who they are and bounced back nicely this week in a 106-89 victory over the Michigan Wolverines. The win had a bit of a special connotation to it as it also saw Caitlin Clark break the NCAA women’s all-time scoring record.

The outcome of the game and returning to form is what was expected of good teams like the Hawkeyes. Small stumbles happen during the college basketball season, but good teams respond in a strong way just as Iowa did.

Iowa took care of their business as did all three teams above them and is holding serve at No. 4 in this week’s ESPN Power Rankings.

4. Iowa Hawkeyes (23-3)
Previous ranking: 4
This week: at Indiana Hoosiers (Thursday), vs. Illinois Fighting Illini (Sunday)

The Hawkeyes were frustrated by an 82-79 loss Feb. 11 at Nebraska in which their offense dried up in the fourth quarter. Michigan paid the price for it Thursday as the Hawkeyes hit the century mark in points for the eighth time this season, winning 106-89 on a historic night for Clark. Now, Iowa has its second matchup of the season with Indiana. The Hawkeyes defeated the Hoosiers 84-57 in Iowa City on Jan. 13, but expect this one to be a lot closer. – Michael Voepel, ESPN

The three teams above Iowa, No. 1 South Carolina, No. 2 Ohio State, and No. 3 Stanford all took care of their business as well giving us an uncommon week of minimal shakeups at the top.

On deck for Iowa is a tough test. The Hawkeyes travel to Bloomington, Indiana to take on the Indiana Hoosiers, who climbed three spots to No. 8 in these power rankings.

Tip off is set for Thursday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. CT on Peacock.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Riley on X: @rileydonald7

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. Hawkeyes Wire operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

Caitlin Clark named ESPN’s women’s basketball Player of the Week

After a special, special week, Iowa Hawkeyes’ point guard Caitlin Clark has been named ESPN’s women’s basketball Player of the Week.

It is hard to argue that anyone has had a better last few days in all of basketball, let alone women’s college basketball than those of Caitlin Clark. The Iowa Hawkeyes’ point guard made national headlines breaking the all-time NCAA women’s scoring record with a three from the logo.

The historic night featured Clark setting a career-high with 49 points as the Hawkeyes’ had a strong showing in the win over the Michigan wolverines. Her performance in that game and breaking the record earned her the title of ESPN’s women’s college basketball player of the week.

Clark needed eight points to become the NCAA women’s hoops scoring leader Thursday vs. Michigan — she got 41 more than that. Her 49-point, 13-assist, 5-rebound performance was an unforgettable way to set the career scoring mark. She also set the Iowa single-game record. With Clark now at 3,569 points, AIAW large-school leader Lynette Woodard (3,649) and NCAA men’s leader Pete Maravich (3,667) are within sight. – Michael Voepel, ESPN

As mentioned, Caitlin Clark is within reach of the all-time NCAA record and the historic record held by Lynette Woodard. With just four regular season games remaining, Clark needs only 81 points to pass Woodard, a feat that could happen soon with the way she can score quickly.

To pass Maravich, Clark would need 99 points which is also rather attainable if she continues to have games that are even average for her expectations.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Riley on X: @rileydonald7

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. Hawkeyes Wire operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

Tom Brady, Peyton Manning among sports celebrities to congratulate Caitlin Clark

Tom Brady and Peyton Manning were among the sports celebrities to congratulate Caitlin Clark on becoming the all-time scoring leader.

Caitlin Clark has officially made history. On Thursday night, Clark raced past former Washington guard Kelsey Plum to become the NCAA’s all-time women’s basketball scoring leader.

It didn’t take her long to do it either. Needing eight points to claim the record, Clark accomplished the feat in a little more than two minutes during No. 4 Iowa‘s 106-89 romp over Michigan. Clark made it a record night in multiple ways, exploding for an Iowa single-game record of 49 points.

“I don’t know if you can script it any better. I thought we played really well tonight,” Clark said.

After Clark made history, social media erupted in celebration. The Big Ten Network put together a cool package with a number of sports stars to tell Clark congratulations.

SHOP: Caitlin Clark record-breaking commemorative cover from USA TODAY

In addition to celebrities Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, NFL legends Tom Brady and Peyton Manning each had messages for Clark.

“I just wanted to say congratulations on the record. Like the rest of the country, I’ve been following along while you chase down my girl Kelsey, but I know she’s proud of you, too. We love witnessing greatness here. Keep your head down, go finish the job and I’ll be watching. Good luck,” Brady said.

Manning joined Brady in celebrating Clark’s achievement, delivering an on-brand joke that was sure to bring a smile to Clark’s face.

“Just wanted to say congratulations on breaking the all-time scoring record. When I played, I hated settling for three points, but you’ve actually turned me into a huge fan of the three. Not an easy task and I know you’ve inspired millions of other people along the way,” Manning said.

Two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning, Milwaukee Bucks star guard Damian Lillard and former scoring champion Jackie Stiles were among the other sports stars to say congratulations to Clark in the Big Ten Network package.

Former teammates Monika Czinano and McKenna Warnock did as well. Ray Guy Award-winning Iowa punter Tory Taylor and Naismith Trophy-capturing Iowa men’s basketball alum Luka Garza also offered their congrats.

[afflinkbutton text=”BUY Caitlin Clark commemorative cover from USA TODAY” link=”https://usatodaystore.com/featured/des-moines-register-cover-caitlin-clark-breaks-all-time-scoring-record-the-des-moines-register.html”]

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnREF

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. Hawkeyes Wire operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

Social media reacts as No. 4 Iowa bounces back in record-breaking night against Michigan

There’s the bounce back! On a record night, Iowa grabbed a 106-89 win over Michigan. Social media reacted as Caitlin Clark put on a show.

That was exactly what Iowa needed.

After a disappointing loss in their last contest at Nebraska, Iowa badly needed two things. They needed to bounce back with a big win, and they needed Caitlin Clark to break that dang record quickly.

SHOP: Caitlin Clark commemorative cover from USA TODAY

Clark entered Thursday’s game eight points away from breaking the all-time NCAA women’s basketball scoring record. The burden of the chase for an all-time scoring record could certainly weigh heavily on any athlete. It’s a great thing, but certainly can be a cloud over a team’s head, and a bit of a distraction as Iowa enters a key point of their season. Thankfully, Clark reached that magic number extremely early in the game.

She would certainly not stop at eight, dropping an astonishing 49 points in the Hawkeyes’ 106-89 victory over Michigan! That’s a new single-game record for the Hawkeyes! It was a fantastic performance for Clark even by her lofty standards.

In addition to her record-breaking game, Clark added 13 assists. Around her, Iowa was lethal from 3-point land, making 18 shots from downtown.

Even on a massive occasion, it was precisely the focused performance needed from the Hawkeyes. Here are the top social media reactions from the victory.

For the top reactions to Caitlin Clark’s record-breaking performance, click here.

[afflinkbutton text=”BUY Caitlin Clark commemorative cover from USA TODAY” link=”https://usatodaystore.com/featured/des-moines-register-cover-caitlin-clark-breaks-all-time-scoring-record-the-des-moines-register.html”]