With Caitlin Clark gone, the Hawkeyes are in trouble once again! Jan Jensen’s squad hasn’t been doing very well in conference play this year. They stand 13th in the Big Ten, having lost six out of ten games so far. This is a far cry from how the Hawkeyes were with Clark and Bluder at the helm. The eyes they drew on the sport, as well as the success they brought to the program were unrivaled. Two national title games in two years is no joke, after all.

With CC declaring for the draft, coach Bluder decided to call it a day as well. This left Iowa without their star player, as well as their experienced head coach. When asked about the current Hawkeyes team, Caitlin Clark first responded in her usual humorous way, “Ooh, asking me the tough questions.”

She then answered, “They’re definitely a younger group,” the Fever star said. “The freshman class to me is what’s really exciting. You can tell they’re freshmen, they’re going to be inexperienced at times but you learn through that and you grow through that. “

The reigning league Rookie of the Year pointed out how well the program was doing in spite of its losses. Another major loss was Jenni Fitzgerald, Bluder’s long-time assistant coach, taking her leave from Iowa this season. “She was Coach Bluder’s right-hand person. She never got a lot of the credit. That’s a big loss, too.”

Regardless, CC remained optimistic about the Hawkeyes. “You have a great young group and you have a couple of juniors that are coming back that are going to be really good, and obviously the class coming in, too, is really good as well.” She said. “The program is in a really good spot.”

Iowa no longer has Caitlin Clark on the court, but the Fever star always remains in their support. Jan Jensen and the Hawkeyes suffered a rough patch in the middle of the season, but they came back even stronger. With the veterans stepping up, however, Iowa’s comeback was inevitable.

Veterans shine as Caitlin Clark’s alma mater pushes for Big Ten comeback

The Hawkeyes had a Caitlin Clark-shaped hole that they had to fill this season. They started off the regular games with a bang, going on an eight-game winning streak, but the Big Ten conference was not kind to them.

Iowa got a reality check in their very first conference game of the season with a close loss to Michigan State. It set the tone for the rest of the season. A nightmarish five game losing streak set the Hawkeyes back by a lot.

However, thanks to veterans Lucy Olsen, Hannah Stuelke, and Addison O’Grady, Iowa has staged a steady comeback. They decisively won their last two games against Washington and Northwestern, with the senior core stepping up. Olsen and Stuelke lead the Hawkeyes in scoring, averaging nearly 16 and 14 respectively.

If they keep playing like the strong-knit unit that they are, there is no doubt that Iowa can make waves in the national tournament once again. What do you think? How will the young Iowa team fare this year? Can they make a Big Ten comeback? Only time will tell.