AP Top 25: The post-Caitlin Clark era Iowa Hawkeyes are getting hot and showing growth at the right time

Iowa State went 9-0 in conference play for the first time since 1996 (six years before Clark was born) and defeated three AP Top 25 teams in a row for the first time in program history. They were 5-2 against AP opponents and lost to the then-No. 1 in-state opponent. 10 Iowa State, 74-69, 1 UConn, 90-64. It was UConn’s third-closest margin of the season, which says more about the Huskies’ dominance than Iowa’s shortcomings.

Second-year head coach Jan Jensen said after the 85-78 win over Maryland that there aren’t many like this so far this season, especially since Iowa knows it could be “pretty good” and “doesn’t need to be tested.” Iowa State blew a 17-point lead in the final three minutes but sealed the victory in overtime.

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Check win close games Removed from the list of useful experiences.

As Jensen said after the win over Ohio State, they want “clarity in our offensive decisions.” Often, they do. The Hawkeyes, who have always given up on good looks for great players, averaged 21.3 assists per game, returning to the top three in Division I after averaging 18.1 per game (10th) last season. They shot 49.4% from the field (ranked 7th), once again jumping to the top, and shot 36.8% from three-point range (ranked 17th).

Several players are solid three-point threats, including second-year point guard Chit Chat Wright, who shot 48.2% from the field. The Georgia Tech transfer is finding leadership on both sides of the ball for a team that has dug deep on defense under Jansen.

“When I see Chit Chat start chatting, it’s really growth,” Jansen said on the postgame broadcast after Sunday’s win over Ohio State.

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But it’s their play in the paint that wears down opponents, just like the Buckeyes did. The Hawkeyes outscored the game 42-14 and outrebounded the game 48-30. Jensen wasn’t happy with their turnovers, but it was the second-fewest press-forced turnovers by Ohio State all season.

Iowa also beat Michigan State and Maryland to win in those categories, although the margin was much closer. They earned paint points against the then-No. 1 team. 20 Nebraska, then-No. 7 Baylor. But that wasn’t the case in losses to Iowa State, led by center and the nation’s leading scorer Audie Crooks, and UConn, led by national Player of the Year contender Sarah Strong.

UCLA will challenge them there. 6-foot-7 senior center Lauren Betts is a defensive cheat who patrols the interior (2.3 blocks per game). This will be the most challenging matchup for Iowa State senior Hannah Stuelke and sophomore Ava Heiden. Hannah Sturke is a 6-foot-2 forward who plays in her natural position at 6-foot-2. Hayden is a 6-foot-4 center who did not play in last year’s 67-65 loss to the Bruins. Their high-and-low action makes opponents uncomfortable, and they will likely be sidelined after senior guard Taylor McCabe suffered a non-contact injury on Sunday.

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Hayden represented Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament, eventually reaching the quarterfinals as the No. 11 seed. The newest coaching product of “Whisperer” Jensen, she leads Iowa with 16.4 points per game and 63.5 percent shooting (fifth in DI). That legacy includes Monika Czinano, Clark’s pick-and-roll partner on the 2023 Final Four team, and Megan Gustafson, the 2019 Naismith Player of the Year and 2025 WNBA champion with the Las Vegas Aces.

This component spans two eras of Iowa basketball. That’s why they become dangerous as March moves forward quickly.

Performer of the Week: Aliyah Chavez, Oklahoma State

Every player has one. It was a massive performance in a circle match on the schedule that introduced them to a national audience. For Chavez, the leading contender for Rookie of the Year, the game came at a critical moment in a 94-82 loss to then-No. 1 Chavez. South Carolina was ranked No. 2 Thursday night.