A game of high stakes beckons in college basketball as two heavyweights are geared up to collide in New York this upcoming Saturday.

On one side, you have UConn, who are still unbeaten (11-0) with the likes of Sarah Strong (17. 9 points), Aziz Fudd (17.7 points), and Biance Quinonez (10.3 points) proving a handful for the opposition, and on the other there’s the Hawkeyes (10-1), who, despite not having Caitlin Clark at their services anymore has players of Ava Heiden (15.2 points) and Hannah Stuelke’s (13.1 points) caliber.

Fans still haven’t forgotten about the iconic show that these two teams put up during their last year’s encounter in the NCAA Final Four. Caitlin Clark grabbed all the eyes with her 21 points, with her game-changing 3-pointers in the second half. But one player who went unnoticed as a young Freshman was undoubtedly Hannah Stuelke (23 points).

Stuelke was a sophomore back then, did not allow the nerves to dictate terms, and seemed unfazed under the bright lights of a semi-final contest. Just by looking at her composure, you could totally see that she had that maturity in her.

Stuelke had a staggering FG% (62.7) that year and scored a total of 489 points. Even this year is looking promising for the Cedar Rapids native.

She has made 60 shots this season and scored an average of 13.1 points per game, along with 96 rebounds and 25 assists. But she won’t be the only one who was part of that legendary win squad.

Taylor McCabe (9.8 points) and Kylie Feuerbach (5.7 points and 3.3 assists) are also there, who know what it takes to play against the Huskies. Taylor, however, never got a chance to come off the bench, but this time around, she will likely be a game starter.

Oh, and how can you forget Jada Gyamfi, who was also part of the roster and played 20 games that season. So you see, even in Caitlin Clark‘s absence, the Hawkeyes haven’t lost their killer instinct.

They are still very strong and can give UConn its first loss if they don’t do their homework correctly. Hawkeyes’ current coach, Jan Jensen, has been with this team for 25 years, and she also knows how to disrupt the party for Geno Auriemma’s girls.

Can Jan Jensen give the Hawkeyes their first NCAA Championship?

Jan Jensen is well known for being the protege of Lisa Bluder. The two shared such a close bond that Jensen would forgo an opportunity to work as a head coach at Drake in 2000 and pursue Bluder to Iowa, where she became the associate head coach.

For 25 years, she has been with this team and knows the nitty-gritty about the squad, which would really help her cause.

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A foreign coach needs to acclimate to a new team, but when you have someone from your own department, the work becomes easier. Jan’s first season also started with a promise, and they went 8-0 They beat teams like Kansas (71-58) and BYU (68-48), but they soon lost their way and ended up losing five consecutive games.

Jensen, who has a wealth of experience, will undoubtedly look to avoid repeating that. Making the playoffs will be on her bucket list, and with the abundance of talent in her squad, she would look to take it all the way to the finals.

The same tournament where they have lost twice before, once against LSU and then against South Carolina.

Jensen has a decent coaching record with Iowa, with 33 wins and 12 losses, for a .733 winning percentage. She also has all the tools required to get the job done.

Jensen also carried forward the legacy of Bluder on her shoulders, and the techniques and skills she has acquired over the years as a coach should enable her to dispatch any team that crosses her path.

They say “Third time’s a charm,” and maybe this year is the year where Caitlin Clark’s former team breaks the final curse.