Balance, balance, balance: Takeaways from Iowa women’s basketball’s win over Illinois
The No. 4 Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball team responded from their loss last Thursday at No. 16 Indiana with an impressive 101-85 victory over Illinois on Sunday.
Iowa (24-4, 13-3 Big Ten) made Illinois (13-13, 7-9 Big Ten) look like the middling squad that its record indicates it is. The Hawkeyes were strong out of the gate and never looked back.
Even on an off shooting day, All-American senior guard Caitlin Clark registered her fifth triple-double of the season.
It was what the rest of Iowa did that left a lasting impression on Hawkeye head coach Lisa Bluder
“That’s amazing,” Bluder said of Clark’s triple-double. “But I just loved that other people stepped up tonight and took responsibility. I loved the balance we had.”
That’s certainly one of the key takeaways for the Hawkeyes. What all stood out for Iowa in its victory over Illinois?
Balance is the story of the day
Iowa truly was very balanced outfit against Illinois. Clark led the way with 24 points, but three other Hawkeyes were double-figure scorers.
Sophomore forward Hannah Stuelke finished with 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting with nine rebounds to just miss out on a double-double. Fifth-year guard Molly Davis added 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting and graduate guard Kate Martin chipped in with 13 points, too.
Molly Davis headlines series of encouraging performances
It was the seventh double-figure scoring output of the season for Davis and the first since she scored 17 at Maryland on Feb. 3. It’s a great sign for the Hawkeyes to see Davis deliver this type of performance as the season heads into the stretch run.
Hampered by a sickness a couple weeks ago, Davis looked fully back like herself in this victory over the Illini.
A trio of guards off Iowa’s bench also gave reasons for optimism. Junior guard Sydney Affolter, redshirt junior Kylie Feurbach and sophomore Taylor McCabe each knocked down a 3-pointer and combined for 23 points.
Iowa knocked down 17 3-pointers
Collectively, Iowa had it rolling from beyond the 3-point line against Illinois. Six different Hawkeyes netted a 3-pointer and five had multiple made treys against the Illini.
Clark, Davis, Martin and Feuerbach each knocked three or more 3-pointers, while McCabe knocked down a pair as well.
Iowa made 17-of-37 3-pointers.
One of those not-so-great shooting days for Caitlin Clark
It wasn’t the best shooting day for Clark. The 6-foot guard made just 2-of-9 shots and only 1-of-7 from 3-point range in the first half.
Clark found her range after halftime, though, knocking down 4-of-7 from 3-point range in the game’s final 20 minutes. She finished 6-of-18 from the field and 5-of-14 from beyond the arc.
Another Clark triple-double
Even on an off shooting day, Clark scored 24 points and showcased why she’s the top women’s college basketball player. Clark tallied her fifth triple-double this season and the 16th of her storied Hawkeye career with 24 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists.
As she so effortlessly does, Clark was setting up shooters and cutters left and right for high-percentage, clean looks.
Wide Open Spaces. @CaitlinClark22 x @davismolly14#Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/q0fDTjJUEQ
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) February 25, 2024
Iowa back on track heading into the home stretch
Of course, most important of all, Iowa played like itself in front of a raucous Carver-Hawkeye Arena crowd as the season starts heading into its most important moments.
The Hawkeyes want to embark on another Final Four run like they did a season ago. This version of Iowa is closer to what fans saw a year ago when the Hawkeyes advanced all the way to the national championship game.
Perhaps like a year ago, Iowa’s loss at then-No. 16 Indiana can serve as a final wake-up call before another memorable NCAA Tournament run. Last season, Iowa suffered an embarrassing 96-68 loss at then-No. 7 Maryland before winning nine straight to win the Big Ten Tournament and advance to the title game.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.
Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnREF
