Against Geno Auriemma’s top-ranked, unbeaten UConn Huskies, the margin for error is zero. The No. 11 Iowa Hawkeyes learned that lesson the hard way, and for coach Jan Jensen, the reasons for the collapse were painfully clear.

After a 90-64 defeat to the Huskies, Jensen’s candid assessment went beyond tactics and into reality. In a message shared on social media, she acknowledged both her team’s shortcomings and the high standard set by the Huskies, pointing to youth, inexperience, and a relentless opponent as the key differences.

“Our Hawks faced a great UConn team & didn’t play as well as we would’ve liked,” Jensen wrote on X. “The #1 ranked Huskies certainly contributed to our shortcomings. But our youth got quality minutes on a bright stage & we’ll learn & improve for the B1G season.”

Jensen’s assessment was clearly evident in the numbers.

Under pressure, the Hawkeyes committed 26 turnovers, many of them unforced or rushed, and the Huskies converted those mistakes into 41 points, compared to just nine points off turnovers for the opposition. The margin created by those mistakes accounted for nearly half of the Geno Auriemma-led team’s final advantage.

“I think UConn caused a lot of the turnovers, but I think our mental game got away from us and we made some mental errors of turnovers,” Jensen said on the Learfield post-game radio show. “There’s no way, in my opinion, we should have had that many turnovers.”

While the Hawkeyes briefly stayed within striking distance in the first half, their inability to protect the ball prevented them from building sustained momentum. Despite holding a 20-11 rebounding edge before halftime, the Hawkeyes went into the break trailing 42-31, having committed 15 turnovers.

And that problem compounded after halftime… They added seven more turnovers in the third quarter alone, allowing the Huskies to stretch an 11-point lead into a 21-point margin entering the fourth quarter.

Senior Hannah Stuelke dropped 17 points, while sophomore Chazadi Wright added another 16. Taylor Stremlow and Ava Heiden also contributed; however, despite their impressive performance, the Huskies were just overwhelming.

Defensively, the Hawkeyes also struggled to contain the Huskies’ two primary scorers: Sarah Strong, who set a 25-year UConn record during the game, scored 20 points in the first half on 9 of 13 shooting while adding five steals, and Azzi Fudd, who punished them after halftime and finished with 27 points, including five three-pointers.

Offensively, the Hawkeyes shot a respectable 47% from three-point range, but those makes were offset by rushed decisions and disrupted spacing. The margin for error against elite defenses is narrow, and the Huskies exposed that reality by consistently closing passing lanes and speeding up ball-handlers. Still, for Jensen, this loss against Geno Auriemma’s team serves as a learning opportunity rather than a setback as they move on to the conference games.

What’s next for the Iowa Hawkeyes after the loss against Geno Auriemma’s Huskies?

With this loss under their belt, the Hawkeyes are 10-2 on the season so far. Their only other defeat came against the No. 10-ranked Iowa State Cyclones on December 10. They’ve faced three high-ranked opponents to date, dropping two games while securing a notable win against the No. 15-ranked Baylor Bears.

While a victory over the No. 1 Huskies in their last non-conference game would have given the team unshakable confidence heading into Big Ten play, Jensen’s outlook on the loss remains positive.

“We didn’t play very particularly well in our inside game,” Jensen said in a post-game interview. “But defensively, I’ve loved our defense all year. I think it has been pretty good. I think it had some really sound moments today.”

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The season is far from over. The Hawkeyes face the Penn State Lady Lions in their next game on December 28. After that, they will face:

• No. 23-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers on January 1.
• Northwestern Wildcats on January 5.
• Indiana Hoosiers on January 11.

With talent and youth on their side, the Hawkeyes will enter the upcoming games determined to respond, improve, and make every possession count.