Since Caitlin Clark arrived at Iowa, it has become one of the most sought-after destinations for top recruits in the country. Clark took Iowa to different heights in every possible way. Almost every game featuring Clark broke viewership records. While that increased popularity has elevated the program, its competitors still use Clark’s absence as a bargaining chip. The attention Clark brought never left, and it has put the program under immense pressure to deliver. And who better than HC Jan Jensen to speak on this?

“Everybody that recruits against us sometimes they want it to make it all about Caitlin, and like, “Oh, Caitlin’s gone. They’re not going to begin. They were just good when Caitlin was there.” Iowa head coach Jan Jensen revealed on the “Girl Dad Podcast”. To be fair to the competitors, the expectations from the first season in the non-Clark era were not much. They had dropped out of the AP Preseason top 25, and they did not compete for the top. However,…

It was a transition year, and the Hawkeyes still finished with a 23-11 record while reaching the second round of the NCAA. Things change as Jensen moves to year two, and the attention is back again with them being at No. 21 in the AP Preseason. “I feel pressure to win. I feel pressured to navigate this whole new concept of pay for play and trying to really build the airplane as we fly.” When you coach a top program, challenges are a part of your life because the cameras aren’t taking you off the shelf. So, Jensen has her way out.

“And so I’m so busy trying to stay in the air without turbulence that I don’t have time to worry if people are like Oh, they’re not as good as when Lisa was there or not as good as when Caitlin was there. Well, you can say that about everybody,” Jensen said. Losing Lisa Bluder with Caitlin Clark was a double gut punch for Iowa, but it wouldn’t help Jensen to be stuck in that. She has the task of maintaining the momentum for Iowa, regardless.

As a new head coach who has been on the bench for 24 years at Iowa, Jensen already knows the ins and outs of the program. The new position brings the pressure of making decisions. In the NIL era, where colleges use the transfer portal like a supermarket, it has even more weight than when Bluder had it when she was starting. She isn’t riding high on CC because  Jensen has made significant efforts in her squad building to bring back Iowa to where it was in Caitlin Clark’s years.

For 2025-26, Jensen has brought in No. 23-ranked Addison Deal, No. 71 Layla Hays, and Four-star F Journey Houston as a part of its 21st-ranked class (by ESPN). In the transfer portal, Jensen managed to get Chazadi “Chit-Chat” Wright from Georgia Tech and Emely Rodriguez. Also, Jensen has made a splash for 2026, managing to recruit Five-star forward McKenna Woliczko, the highest-ranked recruit since Caitlin Clark.

The Hawkeyes are still in the mix for five-star Addison Bjorn and four-star Amari Byles, so Jensen and the team are trending in the right direction. It seems the advantages of Clark’s legacy in Iowa outweigh the problems that come from Clark’s leaving. While breaking past what Bluder and they achieved together, Jensen has an advantage they did not. 

Jan Jensen gains a game-changing edge the Caitlin Clark era never had

When Caitlin Clark played for the Hawkeyes, the team did not necessarily have an advantage in the post. But Lisa Bluder’s style never really needed it. They played a pace and space system with Clark as the orchestrator. Caitlin Clark, being such a ball-heavy player, had the option to read defenses and either pass it to a cutter or make her own shot. Centers like Monika Czinano generally had a support role from the paint. Bluder, however, can afford to lean whichever way she likes. 

The Hawkeyes finally have size in the interior. Being with Bluder at Iowa for so long, even Jensen has a similar philosophy to Bluder. But the up-tempo style of basketball doesn’t always work, especially without someone like Caitlin Clark. It is advantageous to have options against the top teams. The 6-5 freshman Layla Hays is the Hawkeyes’ first true, back-to-the-basket post since 2019 national player of the year Megan Gustafson. Apart from Hays, they have the returning Hannah Stuelke at 6’2, and 6’4 sophomore Ava Haiden. 

Stuelke, Heiden, and Hays could form the big 3 that the rest of the team plays around. “Hannah has always been a Robin for us. Now she’s going to be Batman,” Jensen said. It seems Stuelke will be leading the line, giving Jensen’s side a firm leader on the court. Around her, they have enough size and creativity with Addie Deal at point guard.

“The template is there to be able to do it, and I think take advantage of some of that (size),” assistant coach Randi Henderson said. “All three of them are going to have to be very resilient and not get into foul trouble.” However, it’s still necessary to keep the expectations in check. The team is still in a rebuild mode, albeit better than last year.

Even if Jensen has the tools, she is pretty new at the job. Her tactical flexibility will be tested by coaches like Geno Auriemma, who are far more experienced. Also, the experience of the squad remains an issue. Over half of the roster is made up of freshmen and sophomores. If Jan Jensen can even partially restore the magic of the Caitlin Clark era this season, it will set the stage for a serious breakthrough in the years ahead.