Iowa Women’s Basketball Struggles Continue as Young Players Step Up

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Iowa’s women’s basketball team suffered its third consecutive loss Sunday, falling 74-67 to Indiana at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Head coach Jan Jensen turned to a lineup dominated by freshmen and bench players in the final minutes, signaling a shift in strategy amid the team’s struggles.

For nearly the last eight minutes of the game, Jensen relied on freshman Aaliyah Guyton, junior Taylor McCabe, freshman Taylor Stremlow, junior Hannah Stuelke, and freshman Ava Heiden. The move left starters Sydney Affolter, Addi O’Grady, Lucy Olsen, and Kylie Feuerbach on the bench for most of the critical stretch. The Hawkeyes, now 12-4 overall and 2-4 in Big Ten play, are experiencing their first three-game losing streak since 2018.

“Those young kids, they’re bringing it. That’s the thing that really is promising,” Jensen said after the game. “I feel badly for our upperclassmen. I think they’re pressing.”

McCabe, who scored a team-high 15 points and played a career-high 35 minutes, 31 seconds, was a standout for Iowa. Stremlow and Heiden also impressed, with Stremlow contributing seven points, eight rebounds, four assists, and five steals. Heiden, who played just 1:45 in Iowa’s previous loss, added eight points, five rebounds, and three blocks.

Indiana, meanwhile, never trailed, building a 15-point lead in the second quarter and maintaining control throughout. Yarden Garzon led the Hoosiers with 21 points, going 5-for-5 from beyond the arc. Iowa shot just 33.9% from the field, struggling to find consistent offense.

Jensen acknowledged the challenges her team faces, particularly with veterans struggling under pressure. “We’re starting games very tight,” she said. “Unfortunately, it’s been a lot of our veterans that have made some tough passes, that have made some tough decisions, and it’s putting us in a little bit of a hole.”

The loss marks a stark contrast to the success Iowa enjoyed during the Caitlin Clark era. With Clark now in the WNBA, the Hawkeyes are searching for answers. Jensen, in her first year as head coach after 30-plus years as an assistant, remains optimistic. “I know what’s coming, and I see the camaraderie, and I see their fight,” she said. “We just need to find a way to make shots.”

Iowa’s next opportunity to break the losing streak comes Thursday at home against Northwestern.