While the No. 12 Iowa women’s basketball team (21-5, 12-3 Big Ten) has certainly struggled after senior guard Taylor McCabe suffered a season-ending ACL injury on Jan. 25, sophomore guard Taylor Stremlow has stepped up recently as the team’s outspoken and energetic leader, so much so that the Des Moines Register’s Chad Leistikow Sturmlow’s vibe has been compared to former Hawkeye star Kate Martin.
On Monday against Nebraska (16-10, 5-10) from Lincoln, Neb., Strumlo scored a career-high 17 points on 6-for-7 shooting, 3-for-4 from 3-point range and 2-for-2 from the foul line for the second straight start, helping the Hawkeyes win 80-67.
advertise
“She’ll hit anybody in the chest,” sophomore center Ava Hayden said of Sturmlow after Nebraska’s win. “She gets us really excited. She’s the spark on this team. I’m glad she’s really out there showing that.”
Similar to Martin’s role with the Hawkeyes from 2018-24, Sturmlow was able to lighten the Hawkeyes’ mood before and during games while maintaining the goal of locking down wins, something that has paid off as the program has recently come to a close in the Big Ten regular season.
“She’s content as long as she wins the whole game,” head coach Jan Jansen said of Sturmlow recently. “… She just comes back after she makes a mistake and keeps everyone going. She loves it, she wins. And she’s very unselfish. It’s a really cool way to play.”
advertise
Sturmlow dissects her mindset.
“Supporting my teammates has always been my main goal,” Strumlo said after the win over the Cornhuskers. “I think going into the playoffs, it’s really important to stay calm and stay together, especially in those tight games.”
In Iowa’s 83-74 victory over Purdue on Thursday, Stromlo was on fire again, scoring a career-high 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting and 5-of-6 3-pointers, and dished out a career-high eight assists and three rebounds in 32 minutes.
“Yeah, I don’t think it feels any different. I’m just trying to be consistent with my training and shooting.
advertise
“I think the opportunity itself is there and I’m ready for it,” Strenlow said.
In the last three games that Sturmlow has been in the Hawkeyes’ starting lineup, the Verona, Wisconsin, native has scored 45 points on 73.9 percent shooting from the field and 80 percent from beyond the arc.
Iowa’s next game is Sunday, Feb. 22, at Carver-Hawkeye Stadium against No. 5 Michigan (22-4, 13-2 Big Ten). The Hawkeyes and Wolverines are scheduled to tip off at 11 a.m. central time and will be televised nationally on Fox.
Contact/follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook for continued coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews
advertise
This article originally appeared on Hawkeye Wired: Iowa women’s basketball guard excels as starter
