How Iowa is adapting to the post-Caitlin Clark era

The No. 17 Iowa women’s basketball team that took to Barclays Center Court Saturday night for the inaugural Champions Classic doesn’t compare to the team that played in back-to-back national championship games the last two seasons.

The style of play is different, there’s a new head coach in charge, and the star player who took the basketball world by storm during her time as a Hawkeye has moved on to the next level.

These are not the Hawkeyes of the last four years when Caitlin Clark was in charge.

No, this is an Iowa team that has lost its cheat code and is in the process of reinventing itself.

But Iowa coach Jan Jensen welcomes the challenge.

“Those are certainly big shoes to fill, right?” Jensen said Saturday after the Hawkeyes’ 78-68 loss to Tennessee. “But I’m really glad I got the chance and this group is a really good group.

“They gave it their all, they accepted the challenge, they’re proud that Caitlin Clark and Co. came, but they understand that pages have to turn, chapters have to be rewritten, and I think they’ve done a really great job since then “The season has started.”

Clark led Iowa to unprecedented heights.

The Hawkeyes were crowned Big Ten regular-season champions in 2022 and 2023 and won the last three conference tournaments.

As a junior, she also led Iowa to its first Final Four appearance since she was born and took her team back there the following year.

Their superior shooting brought Iowa national prominence and their fanfare reached extraordinary levels.

Remnants of the Clark effect remain to this day.

There was plenty of black and gold in the crowd on Saturday, but it was nowhere near the excitement that Clark sparked and that he’s still sparking now in the WNBA with Indiana Fever.

Even before Clark heard her name as the top pick in the WNBA draft last April, Iowa knew a transition period was coming.

Not only did the Hawkeyes lose Clark, but guards Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall, two other key starters over the past four years, are also gone.

Longtime head coach Lisa Bluder also abruptly resigned in May to spend more time with her family.

Jensen was an obvious choice to take over the Hawkeyes after already dedicating the last 24 seasons to Iowa.

The Hawkeyes have six new players, including guard Lucy Olsen, a transfer from Villanova.

She was an immediate success for Iowa, averaging 17.3 points, 5.3 assists and 4.5 rebounds in the first eight games.

Without the pull that Clark had, Iowa had to change the way they played.

The pace is slower. The Hawkeyes have relied more on Addison O’Grady’s post game and pushed Olsen to be aggressive with her midfield game.

Iowa doesn’t fire nearly as many 3-pointers, a style that has become somewhat synonymous with the Hawkeyes. This season, Iowa is averaging 10 fewer shots from behind the arc per game compared to last season.

Iowa won eight straight to start the season before losing to Tennessee.

There is still a lot to learn this season.

Saturday’s loss was one of those games. The Lady Volunteers’ press proved too much for Iowa.

“In our situation, it has also been a while since we could be put under pressure because we have had a secure connection for the last three or four years,” said Jensen. “So I’m just getting used to our other people dealing with the press.”
Iowa had too many unforced errors and turned the ball over 30 times. Tennessee made the team pay, scoring 42 points on Iowa’s mistakes.

“We are not where we need to be or where we will be,” Jensen said. “The offense we play is four-out, one-in, we like to go inside out. It will get better with time.”