Iowa Women’s Basketball Doesn’t Miss a Beat in Post-Caitlin Clark Era With Win Over Iowa State

Guard Kelsey Joens #23 of the Iowa State Cyclones battles under the basket during the first half against guard Sydney Affolter #3 and forward Hannah Stuelke #45 of the Iowa Hawkeyes , at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Dec. 11, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa. Matthew Holst/Getty Images

Things looked familiar in Iowa City, Iowa, as the No. 21 Iowa Hawkeyes thrilled a capacity crowd of 14,988 in a 75–69 win over rival No. 18 Iowa State on Wednesday.

The epicenter of college basketball’s rapid growth thanks to former Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark hasn’t changed much since her departure for the WNBA in April. Iowa packs Carver-Hawkeye Arena every night, and the Hawkeyes (9–1) are winning, too.

That’s despite losing the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer and changing coaches amid Lisa Bluder’s retirement. First-year head coach Jan Jensen moved up from being a longtime assistant with the program, and she’s kept the Hawkeyes on course despite the team not starting the season with a top-25 ranking.

“Since this group got together in June, they’ve just really been a joy,” Jensen told reporters afterward. “I think every one of them, they just leaned into this era.

“They were so proud to be Hawks—the new kids coming, the returners. And we knew it wasn’t going to be easy.

“I think I’ve done a pretty good job of staying in my lane and keeping them in their lane. Every game is really fun because we’re doing it together, and I know that coach-ish ... but I think they do that really well.”

Amid Iowa’s first win over a ranked opponent and a rival in the young season, the Hawkeyes won behind a raucous home crowd and stayed unbeaten (4–0) at home. Senior guard Lucy Olsen stepped up with 25 points and five assists to lead the way, and fellow senior guard Sydney Affolter added 16 points and six rebounds.

They helped Iowa bounce back from the team’s lone loss against an unranked but unbeaten Tennessee squad 78–68 that’s typically a national power. The Lady Volunteers are off to a 7–0 start and handed the Hawkeyes their lone loss of the season.

“What we learned a lot in Tennessee is how everybody lost, and I think when you learn how everybody loses, then you can kinda know what you have moving forward,” Jensen said. “And after I watched everybody kind of adapt and turn the page pretty quickly with a little bit of a chip, I thought ‘all right ... I think we got something for this rivalry,’ but I was happy that it was going to be at home.”

Iowa got behind the home crowd and came up with needed baskets down the stretch to outscore the Cyclones 22–13 in the fourth quarter. Olsen and Affolter got the job done offensively after junior forward Hannah Stuelke put the Hawkeyes ahead to stay, 62–61, on a layup.

Iowa has more ranked opponents around the corner as Big Ten play tips off this weekend, but Jensen isn’t looking to herself to carry the weight of Hawkeyes women’s basketball herself after four years of Clark’s superstardom in Iowa City and beyond. Clark drew millions to women’s basketball, reaching beyond the game itself and taking an already successful Hawkeyes program to another level.

“I have a pretty strong faith and there’s a passage that says give thanks in all things, so ... it’s easy when you’re really on the happy wins,” Jensen said. “But believe it or not, I tried to utter ‘Hey, thanks for Tennessee ... but it’s just a personal thing.”

“And I don’t always do it,” Jensen added regarding her individual postgame prayer after the win over ISU. “I didn’t even [do it] intentionally, but I try to be thankful because, you know, we get to do a game.”

She acknowledged there is pressure, “but if I can really remember what a dream [it is that] I’ve gotten to do [this] as a player and a coach, and I get to do it here,” it helps keep gratitude at the forefront. Jensen added that Clark’s time with the program was a “fun era” at Iowa, and the coach praised the fans for another big crowd on Wednesday night.

“So I just try to be thankful for the opportunity,” Jensen said.