If change has been the driving force behind the 2024/25 women’s college basketball season, the Iowa Hawkeyes never took their foot off the gas pedal.
After four seasons spent watching 2024 graduate Caitlin Clark become one of the most impactful players of all time, Iowa has leaned hard into reinvention this year. It's a plan the No. 6 seed will hope pays off as they continue their NCAA tournament run on Monday after a dominant first-round 92-57 victory over Murray State.
Iowa’s rise to college basketball greatness is known. Clark, a home state hero, decides to build something unique with the Hawkeyes rather than heading to a blue-chip school. She then rewrites the very concept of a successful college career, breaking every scoring record that crosses her path while leading her team to two straight Final Four appearances.
With Clark, the team built a reputation for tough defense, logo threes, raucous crowds, and an elite competitive edge that electrified fans around the country. Clark may have been the headline, but Iowa created the platform.
“I think that for our team in particular, people do fall in love with the personalities of the women, and they want to support them, and they want to get behind them,” recently retired Hawkeyes head coach Lisa Bluder told Just Women’s Sports last month.
According to Bluder, Iowa’s winning roots run deep. Before Clark, the Hawkeyes rallied around another homegrown talent: 2019 National Player of the Year Megan Gustafson.
“We don't have any pro sports, so the Hawks are a big deal here. Our players are treated like professional players.” Bluder attested. “We've had women's basketball in the state for over 100 years. And not everybody can say that.”
Iowa basketball roots run deep
Basketball heritage is woven into Iowa’s culture as it carries through much of the Midwest. But what the Hawkeyes felt entering 2024/25 wasn’t a just tide shift. It was the kind of shakeup that could cause even the most beloved program to buckle under the pressure.
Last summer, Clark transitioned from Iowa superstar to the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year. And her teammate Kate Martin surprised the world by deploying her college strengths at the professional level.
And it wasn’t just the players that left — the Hawkeyes also lost their longtime leader.
Bluder now sits on the sidelines, after amassing more Iowa wins than any other head coach in university history. She guided the Hawkeyes to 18 NCAA tournament appearances, only tallying one losing season over her 24 years. Beyond the X’s and O’s, Bluder was known for investing deeply in her players, exemplified by recruiting Clark and guiding her through her transformative college career.
Bluder shifts focus to the sidelines
The legendary coach has taken a step back from the day-to-day elements of women’s basketball, but she remains engaged with the sport. She currently serves as an advocate for technologically informed advances in basketball scouting and performance with companies like GameChanger. And she's always available to speak to reporters and communities alike on the subject of college basketball.
Even with distance, Bluder’s take on this season’s squad are as sharp as they ever were. “This is a team that lost four starters and the world's best players,” she said. “Let's not forget that when we're trying to compare.”
Bouncing back from the loss of a luminary head coach is never easy. And the Hawkeyes subsequently hit some bumps in the road this season, their first under longtime assistant and now head coach Jan Jansen. The reconstructed group began the season 8-0 before a skid that saw them lose seven of their next 11 games. Suddenly, a team not accustomed to losing had to find their patience.
“People can be a little bit unforgiving, and they're naive,” added Bluder. “Because this is a young team.”
Finding their way in the post-Clark era
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Hawkeyes finally finding their spark coincided with a visit from their most celebrated alum. It was early February when Iowa retired Caitlin Clark’s jersey, at an event planned around the unranked side’s high-profile matchup with JuJu Watkins and the top-ranked USC Trojans.
Rather than looking like also-rans up against the new wave of basketball wunderkinds, Iowa came to play. The Hawkeyes downed USC 76-69, officially becoming a bracket buster in the making. At once, wading through all that mid-season turmoil began to feel like working towards something, not against it.
“I’m just trying to stay steady,” Jensen said after that February victory. “Obviously a top four win is huge. I’m incredibly proud of them and I intend to build on it.”
Bluder agreed.
“I told her after the game, ‘Jan, this is your first top five win,’” she said, surrounded by fellow spectators like David Letterman and other celebrity fans. They watched from the stands as Iowa chipped away at a new team identity, one centered on transfer senior Lucy Olsen’s explosive shooting and the stabilizing interior presence of former Clark and Martin compatriot Hannah Stuelke.
“It just clicked that game, like, ‘This is what we brought you here to do,’” Olsen told The Athletic late last week, reflecting back on her team’s game-changing win.
Iowa paves a path to March Madness
Going into this weekend’s NCAA tournament, Iowa’s results have been there. They’ve won 10 of their last 13 games, with all three of those losses decided by single-digit margins against ranked opponents. That includes a near-upset of No.1 overall seed UCLA in late February, with Olsen averaging over 21 points since the victory over USC. And while the Hawkeyes’ corner of the bracket might be tough, they’ve managed to make some noise.
And momentum appears to be on Iowa’s side as they gear up for this afternoon’s second-round clash with No. 3 seed Oklahoma. The team recorded a tournament program-record 28 assists against Murray State — no small feat considering the Clark era's free-flowing basketball. All 12 Iowa players to feature last game scored at least two points, with five players registering double-digits.
The Hawkeyes will be eager to keep the good vibes going. But perhaps more importantly, they’re having fun playing the patented style that made so many fans fall in love with Iowa basketball.
"It's fun to score obviously, but being able to make the extra pass... that just shows how special this team is,” said Iowa freshman Taylor Stremlow after Saturday’s win. “How much we love to share the ball, and support each other."
Now aligned, the future is bright for Iowa
Resisting the temptation to let their season tank in favor of a lengthy rebuild, Iowa is achieving something far more difficult and by many degrees more interesting. They’re holding their own in an increasingly difficult Big Ten, leveraging their talent and potentially rewriting their legacy should they make it to the Sweet 16 — or beyond.
Of course, Bluder is keeping her eye on Iowa’s future. She’s already excited about next year’s recruiting class, saying she’s looking forward to five-star prospect Addy Deal joining the team. And the Hawkeyes announced they’ll be holding onto senior floor general Kylie Feuerbach for one more season.
“If recruits feel how great the atmosphere is in Iowa, in Carver [Hawkeye Arena], they're going to want to come back,” Bluder noted. True to her word, fan engagement hasn’t waned in the post-Clark era. The team averaging at-capacity attendance throughout the 2024/25 season.
A Cinderella March Madness run hangs in the balance
Iowa women’s basketball has been nothing short of a dream for a state so deeply entrenched in the sport. But things change, and the Hawkeyes are shifting their focus to a new dream: creating a level of success that extends far beyond a single figure.
Regardless of whether they’re able to extend their Cinderella run or if their March Madness campaign comes to an end this afternoon, Iowa’s 2024/25 season was a hard-fought step in the right direction.
“Everybody asks me if I knew this was going to happen,” Bluder said of the legacy that lives on in this new team. “Of course, I didn't know it was going to happen. I hoped it was going to happen, but you never know for sure. We just had a belief.”
Former Iowa teammates Caitlin Clark and Kate Martin shared the court once again on Saturday, this time as professionals.
It was Martin’s Aces that got the 99-80 win over Clark’s Fever in Las Vegas. The pair's former coaches Lisa Bluder, Jan Jensen, Jenni Fitzgerald, and Raina Harmon were all in attendance to watch their Hawkeyes — Clark, Martin, and former national player of the year Megan Gustafson — take the court.
"It’s super special. It’s cool for our program, cool for Lisa, for Coach Jan, for all of them," Clark said in a pregame press conference. "They’ve known me since I’ve been 13 years old and now I’m 22 getting to live out my dream and they’ve been a huge part of that and helping me get here and helping Megan and Kate to get here too. It’s a great moment for them and I’m sure they’re not complaining about a trip to Vegas."
As for her college teammate, Clark had nothing but good things to say ahead of the showdown.
"I’m just really happy for her and everything Coach [Becky] Hammon says about her is so true," she said. "Every person that played at Iowa and was around her knows that to be true. She’s the ultimate teammate, ultimate person, ultimate leader."
In the end, Martin stole the show with 12 points and seven rebounds in 22 minutes, while Clark amassed eight points, seven assists, and five rebounds over 29 minutes of playing time.
"It was weird," Martin admitted after the game. "I'm not going to lie — just looking out on the court and seeing her in a different jersey than me, it was obviously different. But it's really fun. We're both living out our dreams right now."
The Aces next meet the fever on July 2nd at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Decorated Iowa basketball coach Lisa Bluder announced her retirement on Monday, with assistant coach Jan Jensen next in line to take over the head coaching position.
Bluder retires as the winningest women’s basketball coach in Big Ten history, amassing 528 wins and five Big Ten tournament titles over her 24 years. During her time at the helm, Iowa made 18 NCAA tournament appearances, including back-to-back trips to the National Championship with star guard Caitlin Clark.
"It has been the honor of my career to be a part of the Iowa Hawkeye family," Bluder wrote in a statement. "And to lead a women's basketball program filled with so many talented and remarkable young women, who have gone on to do great things in their careers and, more importantly, in their lives."
She spent the last few years coaching the remarkable Caitlin Clark. The eventual No. 1 overall pick in April’s WNBA Draft, Clark became the all-time leading scorer in D-I basketball, men’s or women’s, this past season, winning back-to-back Naismith Player of the Year awards under Bluder's leadership.
In a tweet posted Monday, Clark reacted to Bluder’s retirement by thanking her.
"Simply no one better at building a team," Clark wrote. "Thank you for believing in me more than anyone. Enjoy retirement, coach. Very much deserved."
Bluder said Monday that her decision to retire came as she began preparing for the offseason. The longtime coach has previously said she was taking it year-by-year.
"After the season ended, I spent time with our student-athletes and coaches reviewing the season and preparing those moving on for what comes next," Bluder said. "With that also came personal contemplation about what this journey has meant to me, how to best champion this program and what the future looks like for my family and me. After then taking some time away with my husband, David, it became clear to me that I am ready to step aside.
"There is never an ideal time to retire, and I am sure this fall that I will miss the games, the practices, the road trips, the atmosphere, the tremendous fans and, most importantly, the players. But my belief in the foundation of this program, knowing that success is now an unrelenting component of women's basketball at the University of Iowa gives me comfort as I transition to become the program's biggest champion."
Bluder's coaching tenure dates back to 1985, when she coached at St. Ambrose University for six seasons before accepting a head coaching job at Drake in 1991. During her nine years in Des Moines, Bluder led the Bulldogs to four Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championships (1995, 1997, 1998, 2000) alongside three regular season titles (1997, 1998, 2000).
Assistant head coach Jan Jensen has been tapped to take over the role at Iowa, having worked shoulder to shoulder with the outgoing Bluder for a major part of her career. After playing under Bluder at Drake, Jensen moved on to join her former coach off the court as an assistant coach for the Bulldogs.
"I love Jan to death," 2019 Naismith Player of the Year Megan Gustafson told The Gazette. "She deserves this, and she’s ready for it."
Gustafson's former Iowa teammate, post player Monika Czinano, echoed the sentiment.
"It’s the perfect succession line, in my opinion," Czinano said. "She’s one of the main reasons for my development. She’s ready for it."
Former Iowa captain Kate Martin was in the audience during Monday night’s draft when she was selected 18th overall by the Las Vegas Aces.
The moment quickly went viral, as Martin was in the crowd to support superstar teammate Caitlin Clark going No. 1 overall, and was not one of the 14 players invited to the draft.
This moment 🥹@kate_martin22 x @LVAces #WNBADraft
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) April 16, 2024
pic.twitter.com/dVqwR0HRdw
"To be honest, I don't think I'd have the type of career if I don't have a teammate like Kate," Clark said about Martin leading up to the 2024 national championship game. "She's been one that has had my back. She holds me accountable. I hold her accountable. But I think at the same time, me and Kate are wired so similarly that we get each other on a different level."
Martin being drafted marks the first time that Iowa has had two players selected in the same WNBA draft since 1998.
“She's one of the best leaders I've been around," Clark said. "She wants the best for her teammates. She's one of the most selfless people."
Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said Monday that she is “so proud” of her player, “because her dreams came true.”
"She has been such a big part of our program over the last six years,” she said. “Her efforts did not go unnoticed by her peers. I wish Kate all the success with this next step.”
Martin said afterward that she’s “excited for the opportunity” and to showcase her “really good” work ethic. Helping Iowa to back-to-back NCAA title games, Martin finished her college career with 1,299 points, 756 rebounds and 473 assists.
“There are a lot of emotions right now,” Martin said in an interview on ESPN. “I’m really happy to be here. I was here to support Caitlin, but I was hoping to hear my name called. All I wanted was an opportunity and I got it. I’m really excited.”
While Martin was watching from the crowd, her family was watching from back home.
Awesome video from the @kate_martin22 family watch party! Hear from the happy parents tonight on @wqad! pic.twitter.com/gsit17nHW9
— Matt Randazzo (@MattRandazzo) April 16, 2024
Sunday’s Ohio State upset of Iowa was the most-watched regular season women’s college basketball game on any network since 2010, NBC Sports announced on Monday.
In total, the game averaged 1.93 million viewers. Of those viewers, 1.86 million came on NBC stations. Viewership peaked at 3.9 million viewers in overtime as Ohio State pulled away from Iowa to win the game 100-92.
Sunday’s Iowa-Ohio State overtime thriller on NBC and @peacock is the most-watched regular season women’s college basketball game since 2010.
— NBC Sports PR (@NBCSportsPR) January 23, 2024
Details here: https://t.co/FiBA74QBWe pic.twitter.com/brbdZkP7mH
That number is the latest in what has been a number of increasing viewerships in women’s basketball. Last March’s championship game between Iowa and LSU drew an average of 9.9 million viewers, with the game airing on ABC for the first time.
Other sports, such as softball and gymnastics, have also seen increased viewership. Earlier this month, ESPN’s Sprouts Collegiate Classic drew 634,000 viewers, the most-watched regular season NCAA gymnastics meet in ESPN history.
Caitlin Clark was once again dominant, getting her second consecutive triple-double in Iowa’s 96-71 win over Purdue on Wednesday.
It’s the 15th triple-double of the Iowa star’s career. She finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against the Boilermakers. It marks the second time in Clark’s career that she’s recorded consecutive triple-doubles, with the other time coming in January of her sophomore season.
In total, Iowa had five players in double digits to help capitalize on Clark’s performance.
The no-look, behind-the-back 🤯@CaitlinClark22 x @StuelkeHannah#Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/IxeHU3wFyq
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) January 11, 2024
“That’s when we’re at our best,” Clark said. “When we have multiple people scoring in double figures, that makes us really hard to guard. We’re going to need that consistently going forward. This is one of the toughest places to play in the Big Ten. (It) gives you a headache; their band’s loud, their fans are loud. So credit to them. I thought we played a great game tonight.”
Her fourth triple-double of the season, Clark now has nine in her career with at least 25 points. She leads NCAA women’s basketball in that stat category – former Baylor star Brittney Griner is second on that list with three.
Iowa next plays No. 14 Indiana. Both are on 13-game winning streaks and are undefeated in conference play. The two teams split their games last season, with each team winning their game at home.
“Indiana is playing great basketball right now,” Clark said. “I know our crowd’s going to be really amped up for that one. It’s gonna be a fun matchup.”
Rebecca Lobo had some high praise for Caitlin Clark.
Clark had a 29-point triple-double last Friday in Iowa’s win over Rutgers, coming off of four-straight games in which the Iowa star had 35+ points, tying the NCAA record. Her recent run of play had ESPN broadcaster Rebecca Lobo drawing some lofty comparisons.
“I think Caitlin Clark, scoring aside, barring injury will become the No. 1 scorer in women’s college basketball,” Lobo said at halftime of the South Carolina game. “I think she’s the best offensive player we’ve seen in women’s college basketball in 20 years, since Diana Taurasi.
“And it’s not just her ability to score. It’s not just the 31 points a game, her ability to assist. The real separator to me is the range that she has on her shot because it makes her that much more unguardable. … Best offensive player we have seen in 20 years.”
The Hawkeyes star is on track to break the all-time women’s scoring record for NCAA basketball held by Kelsey Plum. Since Taurasi, others have come through the NCAA ranks like Maya Moore, Candace Parker, A’ja Wilson and Plum. Lobo recognized that on social media, but still held firm in her comments.
“There have been some great offensive players in WCBB the last 20 years (Seimone Augustus, Maya Moore, EDD, Breanna Stewart, Kelsey Plum),” she wrote. “I believe @CaitlinClark22 is the best player on the offensive end since Diana Taurasi.”
There have been some great offensive players in WCBB the last 20 years (Seimone Augustus, Maya Moore, EDD, Breanna Stewart, Kelsey Plum). I believe @CaitlinClark22 is the best player on the offensive end since Diana Taurasi. pic.twitter.com/mlPQHmypms
— Rebecca Lobo (@RebeccaLobo) January 8, 2024
Even still, the comments did draw some ire from others, including current WNBA player Lexie Brown.
“The erasure of recent college greats is mind boggling to me,” she wrote on social media. “I can’t stand it.”
As Iowa star Caitlin Clark hit a shot heard around the world on Tuesday night, South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley lamented the refereeing that got her there.
“Heckava shot but give the game ball to the ref for the shooting foul call,” Staley wrote on social media.
While some thought she was referring to the idea that Clark didn’t get the ball off in time, it was a questionable 3-point shooting foul that allowed Molly Davis to sink two free throws and give Iowa a 73-71 lead.
Heckava shot but give the game ball to the ref for the shooting foul call. 🤷🏽♀️🤷🏽♀️🤷🏽♀️
— dawnstaley (@dawnstaley) January 3, 2024
Michigan State’s DeeDee Hagemann was able to tie the game at 73, but those two points inevitably made a difference in the outcome.
Davis, for her part, joked about missing one of the free throws on purpose.
“I missed the first [free throw] on purpose so Caitlin could hit the game-winner,” she said.
Caitlin Clark continued to do Caitlin Clark things on Tuesday, nailing a buzzer-beater to give No. 4 Iowa a 76-73 win over Michigan State.
It was another signature logo 3-pointer, and marks her second such game-winning three in the last two seasons after she hit a similar shot against Indiana last year.
“Honestly, when it left my hand, I knew it was going in,” Clark said. “Those are situations we work on at the end of practice every single day.”
The shot had athletes like Alex Morgan tweeting, “CAITLIN CLARK IS HER.” Meanwhile others suggested that the NBA’s Detroit Pistons should draft the Iowa star.
An additional photo of the buzzer beater also made the rounds, quieting those who thought that Clark didn’t get the shot off in time.
Never a doubt. @CaitlinClark22 x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/U0ocB3OAvr
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) January 3, 2024
“Caitlin has ice in her veins,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “Everybody knows it.”
Even still, the shot doesn’t mask the struggles the Hawkeyes faced against the Spartans. A 25-point first-quarter was followed by just 10 points in the second, as Michigan State took a two-point lead into the locker room at the half.
“That second quarter was one of the worst ones I’ve seen of Iowa basketball,” Bluder said. “I was kind of frustrated we quit running our offense in the second quarter, and that allowed them to get back in the game.”
The stat sheet tells a little bit more of the story. Clark took 34 shot attempts for 40 points and only one other Hawkeyes was in double-digits: Hannah Stuelke. The Spartans, on the other hand, had four players in double-digits.
But at the end of the day, Iowa – and Clark – found a way to win.
“I almost started laughing,” Clark said. “I think everybody was like, ‘Oh, thank God, this game’s over with, we don’t have to go to overtime.’ You know, it was ugly, but it was a win, and that’s what matters at the end of the day.”
As the new year approaches, the college basketball season is heating up, and so is the player of the year race.
The Naismith Player of the Year award recognizes the best players in NCAA men’s and women’s basketball. Several players on the 50-player watchlist have lived up to their billing. One in particular has done even more.
Here are Just Women’s Sports’ contenders in the player of the year race heading into 2024, in no particular order.
Caitlin Clark, Iowa
Not much more needs to be said here. Last year’s Naismith Award winner is putting on an even better show this season. At the time of publication, Clark averages a league-leading 30.5 points per game and is seventh in NCAA Division I in assists (7.4 per game). At her current pace, Clark could overtake Kelsey Plum’s college scoring record by February. And while she’s a high scorer, she also spreads the wealth around to her team.
In what could be her final year in the NCAA, Clark has also stepped up her defensive play. She’s gathered 91 defensive rebounds through 13 games played, and her turnover rate is at a career low.
For the second year in a row, Clark may well be the best all-around choice for player of the year.
Alissa Pili, Utah
Few players on this list have taken their team on their backs the way Pili has. When she shoots, she rarely misses. When she defends, she gives her all.
Pili averages just under 25 points per game, good for fourth in D-I. She also has a 69.7 shooting percentage, the fifth-highest in the NCAA. And she is making 56.5% of her 3-pointers, which ranks first in the NCAA.
Pili’s WNBA potential has been debated. But after the show she’s been putting on this season, there’s no question that she could thrive in the pros. Her size, scoring ability and athleticism make her an ideal draft candidate in 2024 — and perhaps a player of the year candidate as well.
JuJu Watkins, USC
The freshman guard is already making a huge impact for the Trojans. In the seven-week old college basketball season, Watkins has taken home six Pac-12 freshman of the week honors. And for good reason.
Watkins is averaging a staggering 26.8 points per game, placing her at second in D-I as a first-year player. She shoots over 46% from behind the arc, and she’s snagged 62 rebounds in her nine games played.
Before finishing her first semester of college, Watkins has cemented herself as a regular in USC’s starting lineup and as a favorite for national freshman of the year honors. And if she keeps it up, she could set her sights even higher.
Paige Bueckers, UConn
Bueckers started the 2023-24 season with something to prove. The redshirt junior guard had less than 50 college games under her belt due to injuries — a good amount lower than many other players in her year. But she hit the court without missing a beat.
The 21-year-old averages almost 19 points per game, shoots 48% from the three-point line and leads her team in points this season. Bueckers also averages more than three assists per game, and she’s snagged 23 steals in 12 games. She is stepping up her defensive game as well. So far, she’s batted a team-leading 16 blocks as a guard and she’s collected 50 defensive rebounds.
If she continues to heat up despite the pressure of leading a depleted UConn squad, she could play her way into the national award conversation.
Aneesah Morrow, LSU
Morrow is another player whose all-around skillset is serving her well early in the 2023-24 slate. Her versatility is allowing her to shine at LSU after her transfer from DePaul in the offseason.
The 20-year-old forward makes her presence known on the scoresheet, averaging 18.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. But her excellence continues on the other side of the ball. Morrow leads the Tigers with 34 steals and 17 blocks in 13 games played.
Through many challenges LSU has faced this season, including a prolonged absence for star Angel Reese and the removal of former starter Kateri Poole from the team, Morrow has taken everything in stride and remained a consistent and reliable player for the Tigers.
Honorable mentions:
- Cameron Brink, Stanford
- Aaliyah Edwards, UConn
- Deja Kelly, UNC
- Ta’Niya Latson, Florida State
- Jacy Sheldon, Ohio State