Final bracketology roundup for Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball
I don’t know about you my fellow hoops fans, but I’m honestly more excited for the Women’s NCAA Tournament this year than I am for the men’s edition!
Not sure why, but the differences between the two Iowa Hawkeyes teams may play a role in that. On one side you have the men’s squad that should still make the tournament as a dreaded eighth-seed after a disappointing end to their Big Ten Tournament. On the other, though is the dominant Hawkeyes women’s squad who can very much be in play for a number-one seed in the tournament!
It honestly goes further than just how the team is doing though. If you have paid attention to the women’s game this year, you would know just how high the level of play has been around the league. It’s something that I plan on writing about honestly, but seriously, they can absolutely ball!
There is some insane star power this year, from South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston to Villanova’s star scorer Maddie Siegrist. Of course, you can’t forget about our own Caitlin Clark, probably the front-runner for the National Player of the Year.
If there was ever a time to throw away any of your preconceived notions and get into women’s basketball, this is the time, especially if you are an Iowa fan. All the worries throughout the season have seemingly dissipated as the Big Ten Tournament run and victory over Indiana have created a sense of magic around Iowa City.
Ahead of Selection Sunday, here is a bracketology roundup for Iowa women’s basketball.
Iowa's Path to the Tournament
Syndication: HawkCentral
Before we can look forward, however, we should attempt to answer the question posed by The Talking Heads in their hit song “Once in a Lifetime”: “Well, how did I get here?”
Iowa’s path to the NCAA Tournament was a successful run full of many green W’s on the record sheet. Narrowly finishing second behind Indiana for the regular season Big Ten Title, Iowa would cap off their regular season efforts with a Caitlin Clark buzzer-beater over the Hoosiers.
While Indiana would fall in the subsequent tournament to Ohio State, Iowa would dismantle the Buckeyes 105-72 to capture their second straight Big Ten Conference Championship in a row.
ESPN (Charlie Creme)
Syndication: HawkCentral
You know, ESPN’s Charlie Creme must hate his fellow writers. Who in their right mind would ever willingly pair up Iowa and Iona for a game? That’s literally one letter! One slip of the finger and there’s massive confusion for the viewers out there! You know in the madness this will happen too!
Oh yeah, by the way, Iowa is the second seed in this scenario, Indiana unfortunately still getting a number one seed. The Iona Gaels, a nickname that works EVEN BETTER FOR THE WOMEN’S TEAM, are an automatic qualifier after finishing first in the MAAC conference.
The owners of possibly my favorite jersey in college basketball will play Manhattan in the MAAC Conference Championship.
CBS Sports (Connor Groel)
(Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Okay, since CBS Sports doesn’t give the same clear bracket that ESPN does, we will try our best here.
The important news is that Iowa is projected to be a number one seed! CBS has both Iowa and Indiana as number one seeds, while UConn has to settle for a second seed.
As for opponents, as there is not a direct bracket there are a couple of potential opponents, and I will do you the favor of listing the 16 seeds here!
Vermont (America East): 24-6, NET 144, SOS 323
Norfolk State (MEAC): 24-6, NET 164, SOS 329
Towson (CAA): 19-10, NET 159, SOS 239
SE Louisiana (Southland): 21-9, NET 160, SOS 143
Tennessee Tech (OVC): 22-9, NET 169, SOS 314
Chattanooga (SoCon): 20-12, NET 165, SOS 237
Just Women's Sports (Eden Lasse)
(Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)
Just Women’s Sports follows the same format that CBS Sports does, but honestly, I will 100% take it after doing research for this article. At least these three are doing their jobs reporting on the women’s game!
What I won’t give credit to JWS for is placing Iowa as a second seed, instead inviting us all to give them a hearty round of boos. I’m of course kidding but come on, Virginia Tech ahead of Iowa and UConn? Shaking my head.
There are a number of 15 seeds in which Iowa can play in this scenario, thankfully the terrifying possibility of an Iowa-Iona game is not available this time. Here is a list of those 15 seeds.
Albany
Fairleigh Dickinson
Montana State
Gardner-Webb
Fairleigh Dickinson has an opportunity to make their first-ever tournament with a win in the NEC Championship over St. Francis. They would also be the only Fairleigh Dickinson team deserving to make it as well.
Who To Watch for the Hawkeyes
(Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Of course, no conversation about Iowa Women’s Basketball can start without Caitlin Clark. The superstar point guard should be the easy favorite to win National Player of the Year after a spectacular season. 27 points per game (third in the nation) with a leading 8.3 assists per game, not to mention her 7.5 rebounds per game for a guard, should easily capture that award for her.
It’s not just a one-woman show in Iowa City though. Opponents would be wise not to sleep on center Monika Czinano, a four-time First Team All-Big Ten member. Czinano is currently second on the Hawkeyes in rebounds (6.5 per game) and points (17.3 per game).
Freshman Hannah Stuelke has been a force off the bench for Iowa this season. The Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year has scored around seven points per game in only around 13 minutes a game.
Playing off the two-star duo in Clark and Czinano are a trio of dangerous shooters who will make you pay if left open from deep. McKenna Warnock, Kate Martin, and Gabbie Marshall are all reliable shooters who are the glue pieces to this team. Marshall recently went off for a seven-three-pointer performance against Maryland to send Iowa to the Big Ten Championship.
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