Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball

Last updated
Iowa Hawkeyes
Basketball current event.svg 2025–26 Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball team
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UniversityUniversity of Iowa
Founded1974 (51 years ago)
Athletic director Beth Goetz
Head coach Jan Jensen (1st season)
Conference Big Ten
Location Iowa City, Iowa
Arena Carver-Hawkeye Arena
(capacity: 14,998)
Nickname Hawkeyes
Student section Hawks Nest
ColorsBlack and Gold
Uniforms
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Home
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Away
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Alternate
NCAA tournament runner-up
2023, 2024
Other NCAA tournament results
Final Four1993, 2023, 2024
Elite Eight1987, 1988, 1993, 2019, 2023, 2024
Sweet Sixteen1987, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1996, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024
Appearances1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
Conference tournament champions
1997, 2001, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024
Conference regular-season champions
1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1998, 2008, 2022

The Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball team represents the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference as well as the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The team plays its regular season games at 15,400-seat Carver-Hawkeye Arena, along with men's basketball and wrestling teams.

Contents

History

Origins and Development (1974–1983)

The University of Iowa launched its women’s basketball program in 1974, with Lark Birdsong as its first head coach. In the 1974–75 season, the fledgling Hawkeyes compiled a 5–16 overall record, registering their first win against Minnesota. Birdsong coached through the 1978–79 season, guiding the program to its first winning season, although detailed statistical documentation remained limited in the pre‑NCAA era governed by the AIAW. Judy McMullen succeeded Birdsong and led the team for four seasons amid growing institutional support and the rise of Title IX—though wins remained modest, the program’s infrastructure and competitive identity began to form.

The C. Vivian Stringer Transformation (1983–1995)

When C. Vivian Stringer arrived in 1983, she revolutionized the program. By 1985, Iowa sold out Carver-Hawkeye Arena with 22,157 fans to watch Ohio State—a landmark moment that highlighted both Stringer’s success and growing community support for the women’s game. Over her 12 seasons, Stringer amassed a stellar 269–84 overall record, including a dominant 169–45 Big Ten mark (.790), and achieved ten 20-win seasons and nine NCAA Tournament berths.

Under Stringer, Iowa captured six Big Ten regular-season titles (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993) and reached the Elite Eight twice (1987, 1988) before breaking through in 1993 with a 27–4 record. That year, the Hawkeyes advanced past Old Dominion, Auburn, and Tennessee to make the program’s first Final Four, where they narrowly lost 73–72 in overtime to Ohio State. Stringer later earned induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame and became the first coach to lead three different programs to Final Fours.

Transition Under Angie Lee (1995–2000)

Following Stringer’s departure to Rutgers in 1995, Angie Lee took over on the Iowa sideline. Although her tenure did not match Stringer’s highs, Lee continued the program’s competitive traditions. She led Iowa to a Big Ten championship in her first season, another regular-season title in 1998, and a conference tournament title in 1997. During those years, Iowa remained in NCAA postseason play, setting the stage for the consistency that would follow under the next coach.

The Lisa Bluder Era (2000–2024)

Lisa Bluder took over the Iowa Hawkeyes in 2000 and became the program’s most enduring figure. Over 24 seasons, she amassed 528 wins, making her Iowa’s all-time winningest coach. Her teams posted winning records in 23 of her 24 seasons, including 22 postseason appearances, 18 NCAA tournaments, and five Big Ten Tournament titles (2001, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024), along with regular-season titles in 2008 and 2022. Bluder herself earned multiple accolades: Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2001, 2008, and 2010, and Naismith Coach of the Year in 2019.

One of the defining stars in her era was Megan Gustafson, who in the 2018–19 season averaged 27.8 points and 13.4 rebounds on 69.9 percent shooting. Gustafson earned National Player of the Year honors, powered Iowa to a 29–7 record, won the conference tournament, and propelled the team to the Elite Eight, where they lost to eventual national champion Baylor. Her No. 10 jersey was retired by Iowa in 2020.

The Caitlin Clark Era (2020–2024)

In 2020, Bluder recruited Caitlin Clark, triggering an era of unprecedented success. Across four seasons, Clark redefined the program—and women’s college basketball at large—in both performance and cultural resonance.

2020–21: Clark’s freshman year saw Iowa post a 20–10 overall record and 11–8 in Big Ten play, finishing sixth. The Hawkeyes reached the Big Ten Tournament final but lost to Maryland. They held a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament (Riverwalk Region) and ultimately advanced to the Sweet Sixteen, where they were eliminated by UConn, 92–72. Clark averaged over 20 PPG, became the first D‑I player to record 1,000 points and 300 assists in a season, won USBWA and WBCA Freshman of the Year, and broke arena scoring records.

2021–22: Iowa improved to 24–8 overall and 14–4 in Big Ten, sharing the regular-season title with Ohio State. They won the Big Ten Tournament, where Clark earned MOP honors. Despite earning a No. 2 seed (Greensboro Region) in the NCAA tournament, the team was upset in the second round by #10 seeded Creighton, 64–62. Clark led the nation in both scoring and assists, earned Big Ten Player of the Year, and was a unanimous All-American.

2022–23: The Hawkeyes went 31–7, 15–3 in conference, and claimed their second straight Big Ten Tournament title, with Clark again named MOP. As a No. 2 seed (Seattle Region) in the NCAA tournament, they beat Southeastern Louisiana, Georgia, Colorado, and Louisville to reach Iowa’s first Final Four since 1993. In the National Semifinals, Iowa upset undefeated defending champion South Carolina 77–73, snapping their 42-game win streak; Clark scored 41 points. Iowa fell to LSU 102–85 in the championship game, however. Clark led all tournament scorers with 191 points.

2023–24: The Hawkeyes had their best season: 34–5 overall, 15–3 in conference, earning the program’s first No. 1 seed since 1992 and were overall #2 in the NCAA Tournament. Iowa won a third consecutive Big Ten Tournament title. In the NCAA tournament, they defeated LSU in the Elite Eight 94–87 to reach a 2nd consecutive Final Four; Clark scored 41 points and had 12 assists. In the National Semifinals, the Hawkeyes outlasted UConn 71–69 to reach the championship game for a second straight year; Clark scored 21 points. Despite Clark scoring 30 points, Iowa lost 87–75 to unbeaten South Carolina in a rematch of the previous seasons Final Four. By season’s end, Clark amassed 3,951 career points—making her the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I history—men or women—alongside 548 made three-pointers and over 1,140 career assists. Following her impact, Iowa officially retired her No. 22 jersey on February 2, 2025, becoming the third program number to be retired.

Throughout these four seasons, Iowa’s cumulative record stood at 109–30, with Clark eight-time All‑America, three-time Big Ten Player of the Year, three-time Nancy Lieberman and Dawn Staley Award winner, and two-time Naismith and Wooden Player of the Year.

NCAA tournament results

Iowa has appeared in 31 NCAA Tournaments with a record of 35−31. [1]

YearSeedRoundOpponentResult
1986 #5Second Round#4 TennesseeL 68−73
1987 #3Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		#6 New Orleans
#2 Georgia
#1 Louisiana Tech		W 68–56
W 62–60
L 65−66
1988 #1Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		#8 Stephen F. Austin
#4 Southern Cal
#2 Long Beach State		W 83–65
W 79–67
L 78−98
1989 #3Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		#11 Tennessee Tech
#2 Stanford		W 77–75
L 74−98
1990 #3Second Round#6 VanderbiltL 56−61
1991 #6First Round
Second Round		#11 Montana
#3 Washington		W 64–53
L 53−70
1992 #1Second Round#8 SW Missouri StateL 60−61 (OT)
1993 #2Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four		#7 Old Dominion
#3 Auburn
#1 Tennessee
#1 Ohio State		W 82–56
W 63–50
W 72−56
L 72–73 (OT)
1994 #3First Round
Second Round		#14 Mount St. Mary's
#6 Alabama		W 70–47
L 78−84
1996 #2First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		#15 Butler
#7 DePaul
#3 Vanderbilt		W 72–67
W 72−71
L 63–74
1997 #9First Round
Second Round		#8 NC State
#1 Connecticut		W 56–50
L 53−72
1998 #4First Round
Second Round		#13 Massachusetts
#5 Kansas		W 77–59
L 58−62
2001 #4First Round
Second Round		#13 Oregon
#5 Utah		W 88–82
L 69−78
2002 #9First Round
Second Round		#8 Virginia
#1 Connecticut		W 69–62
L 48−86
2004 #9First Round#8 Virginia TechL 76−89
2006 #10First Round#7 BYUL 62−67
2008 #9First Round#8 GeorgiaL 61−67
2009 #8First Round#9 Georgia TechL 62−76
2010 #8First Round
Second Round		#9 Rutgers
#1 Stanford		W 70–63
L 67−96
2011 #6First Round#11 GonzagaL 86−92
2012 #9First Round#8 CaliforniaL 74−84
2013 #9First Round
Second Round		#8 Miami (FL)
#1 Notre Dame		W 69–53
L 57−74
2014 #6First Round
Second Round		#11 Marist
#3 Louisville		W 87–65
L 53−83
2015 #3First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		#14 American
#11 Miami (FL)
#2 Baylor		W 75–67
W 88−70
L 66–81
2018 #6First Round#11 CreightonL 70−76
2019 #2First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		#15 Mercer
#7 Missouri
#3 NC State
#1 Baylor		W 66–61
W 68−52
W 79–61
L 53–85
2021 #5First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		#12 Central Michigan
#4 Kentucky
#1 UConn		W 87–72
W 86−72
L 72–92
2022 #2First Round
Second Round		#15 Illinois St.
#10 Creighton		W 98–58
L 62–64
2023 #2First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
Championship 		#15 Southeastern Louisiana
#10 Georgia
#6 Colorado
#5 Louisville
#1 South Carolina
#3 LSU		W 95–43
W 74–66
W 87–77
W 97–83
W 77–73
L 85–102
2024 #1First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
Championship 		#16 Holy Cross
#8 West Virginia
#5 Colorado
#3 LSU
#3 UConn
#1 South Carolina		W 91–65
W 64–54
W 89–68
W 94–87
W 71–69
L 75–87
2025 #6First Round
Second Round		#11 Murray State
#3 Oklahoma		W 92–57
L 62–96

Retired numbers

The Hawkeyes have retired three jerseys in honor of the women's program, the most recent being Caitlin Clark's in February 2025.

Iowa Hawkeyes retired numbers
No.PlayerCareerYearRef.
10 Megan Gustafson 2015–20192020 [2]
22 Caitlin Clark 2020–20242025 [3] [4]
30 Michelle Edwards 1985–19881990 [5]

National award winners

AP Female Athlete of the Year
James E. Sullivan Award (top college or Olympic athlete in the US)
Academic All-American of the Year (all Division I sports)
Naismith Trophy
Wooden Award
Wade Trophy
AP Player of the Year
USBWA Player of the Year
Naismith Coach of the Year
Maggie Dixon Award (top first-year Division I head coach)
Academic All-American of the Year (D-I women's basketball)
Lisa Leslie Award (top D-I center)
Nancy Lieberman Award (top D-I point guard)
Dawn Staley Award (top D-I point guard)
Tamika Catchings Award (USBWA freshman of the year)
WBCA Freshman of the Year
Notes
  1. ↑ Awarded for Clark's accomplishments and impact in both college basketball and the WNBA.
  2. ↑ The Sullivan Award covers a calendar year, and is presented in the next calendar year.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "2022 Media Guide" (PDF). hawkeyesports-com. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  2. ↑ Southard, Dargan (January 26, 2020). "'Somebody to cheer for': Hawkeyes pour in support for Megan Gustafson's jersey retirement". Hawk Central. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
  3. ↑ Henderson, Cydney (10 April 2024). "Iowa will retire Caitlin Clark's No. 22 jersey: 'There will never be another one'". USA Today . Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  4. ↑ Voepel, Michael (February 2, 2025). "Iowa retires Caitlin Clark's No. 22 jersey after win vs. USC". ESPN . Retrieved February 2, 2025.
  5. ↑ Sojka, Patrick (September 3, 2014). "Michelle Edwards: 'My time at Iowa was amazing'". Iowa Now. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Iowa's Clark wins 2022-23 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award" (Press release). United States Basketball Writers Association. March 31, 2023. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Iowa's Clark repeats as USBWA's Ann Meyers Drysdale Award winner" (Press release). United States Basketball Writers Association. April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
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