IOWA CITY, Iowa – The only downside to Iowa’s storybook rise to elite status with Caitlin Clark leading the way is that it couldn’t last forever.

Clark could have used her free Covid year and returned to Iowa for a fifth season.

But the two-time National Player of the Year had given her heart and soul to the Iowa women’s basketball team and she was ready for a new challenge after having led Iowa to back-to-back NCAA runner-up finishes, and becoming the all-time leading scorer in NCAA history.

Clark wanted compete at the highest level in the WNBA, and the 6-foot guard has since proven that she was ready for the challenge by being named the WNBA Rookie of the Year.

Her former team, meanwhile, is ready to show that it can still compete at a high level, even without Clark, and without former multi-year starters Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall.

Life after Clark and her two sidekicks will start on Wednesday when Iowa faces Northern Illinois in the season opener at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Jan Jensen has been promoted to head coach, replacing Lisa Bluder, who retired shortly after last season.

Iowa also has added former Villanova guard Lucy Olsen from the transfer portal.

Olsen was the nation’s third leading scorer last season, averaging over 23 points per game.

She also apparently isn’t afraid of the challenge that comes with trying to live up to the incredibly high standard that was set by Clark and her cohorts.

Clark had an enormous impact on and of the court as Iowa played before sellout crowds at home and on the road last season.

But even without Clark, Iowa has sold out all of its home games this season.

There is a buzz surrounding the Iowa women’s basketball team and now it’s time for the 2024-25 Hawkeye squad to take center stage.

“I’ve said so many times, I’m a broken record, but I couldn’t have a better group to have a crack at this thing,” Jensen said.

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The University of Iowa women’s basketball team will open their season against Northern Illinois on Wednesday on Mediacom Court inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The game will tip off at 6:31 p.m. (CT) and be streamed live on B1G+. Tickets for this game are sold out, fans are encouraged to visit SEATGEEK, the official ticketing partner of Iowa Athletics.

FOLLOW LIVE
Radio: Games are broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network with Rob Brooks (play-by-play) and Tiff Reedy (color) on the call. The network includes more than 40 stations that blanket the state of Iowa and include portions of Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin. The Hawkeye Radio Network includes a 30-minute pregame show.
Stream: Wednesday’s game will be streamed live on B1G+ — a paid subscription service. AJ Reisetter (play-by-play) and Hayden Hoxmeier (color) will be on the call.

PROGRAM QUICK HITS
» Iowa was the first program in the Big Ten conference to compete in back-to-back National Championships.
» Iowa tied Purdue (1998-99) and Maryland (2014-15) for most wins in B1G history in 2023-24. (34)
» Iowa has been ranked in the national attendance top 10 each of the past five seasons with fans (2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2019).
» The Hawkeyes won 15+ games inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena in four out of the last six seasons, which is the best six-year stretch in program history.
» Iowa won four of the last six Big Ten Tournament titles (2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024).
» Over the last two seasons, Iowa has won 65 games which is the best two-year stretch in program history.
» Iowa has earned eight straight 20-win seasons, which is the second longest streak in program history. (1984-94)
» Since 2020, the Hawkeyes are 109-30.
» In Big Ten play, Iowa is 55-18 over the last four years.
» The Hawkeyes return eight lettewinners and welcome six newcomers to the 2024-25 roster.
» Iowa has the longest active streak in the nation scoring at least 80 points per game in four consecutive seasons.
» Five Hawkeyes drafted have been into the WNBA since 2019, following Kathleen Doyle, Megan Gustafson, Monika Czinano, Kate Martin, and Caitlin Clark.
» Jan Jensen became Iowa’s fifth head coach in program history on May 13, 2024.

SCOUTING NORTHERN ILLINOIS
» The Huskies return three of their top five scorers from last season’s squad in Brooke Stonebraker (Versailles, Ohio/Versailles), Sidney McCrea (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Prairie) and Brooke Blumenfeld (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North). Stonebraker was named to the Mid-American Conference’s Preseason All-MAC Second Team.
» NIU also returns guard Chelby Koker (Racine, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) for her sixth year after missing the 2023-24 season due to injury. Koker has been an All-MAC selection three times in her career. In 2023 Koker was named to the All-MAC Second Team after averaging 15.4 points and 3.4 assists per game.

SERIES HISTORY
» Iowa leads the all-time series, 7-5.
» The Hawkeyes have won the last three matchups dating back to 2007.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
» Ava Heiden is the program’s first Oregonian and was the No. 5 post prospect in ESPN’s position rankings.
» Heiden is the highest ranked post Jan Jensen has ever coached.
» Aaliyah Guyton comes from a fantastic pedigree, her father played basketball for Indiana and the Chicago Bulls. Her mother played for the Mercury and the Brazilian National Team.
» Guyton was a four star prospect and was the No. 1 rated player in Illinois.
» Teagan Mallegni and Taylor Stremlow both hail from the state of Wisconsin.
» Mallegni’s parents both played sports at Division III power-house UW-Whitewater.
» Callie Levin was the 2024 Gazette, USA Today, SB Live, and Sports Illustrated Iowa Basketball Player of the Year.
» Levin netted nearly 2,000 points at Solon High School.

Hawkeyesports.com contributed to this article