Slumping Iowa women face surging Nebraksa Thursday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena
By Hawk Fanatic
IOWA CITY, Iowa – Two teams headed in opposite directions will meet on Thursday when the Iowa women’s basketball team faces Nebraska at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Iowa has lost three straight games to Maryland, Illinois and Indiana, while Nebraska has won three straight games over Penn State, No. 20 Michigan State, and Rutgers.
Iowa’s current slump is jarring for the players, coaches and fans because it’s such a dramatic shift from the previous two seasons when Iowa finished as the NCAA runner-up in each season with two-time National Player of the Year Caitlin Clark leading the way, along with a veteran supporting cast.
Clark and three other key players have moved on as has former Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder, who retired this past May and was replaced by long-time assistant Jan Jensen.
“We’re going to let this one hit us a little bit,” junior guard Taylor McCabe said after the 74-67 loss to Indiana this past Sunday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. “We’re on a losing streak right now, so we’ve got to find a way to bounce back and snap that.
“We’re going to bounce back starting tomorrow and bring that energy. I really thought we had good energy today. I thought our effort was much different from Illinois. All three of these losses have been such different losses and we’re trying to learn a lot from each.
“Compared to last year, I just think this team is so different, and I don’t think we’ve ever stopped fighting and the Iowa culture is definitely still there and that’s what we’re going to keep building off. I still think it’s early on and we’ve got plenty of season left. So we’re not going to let it affect us too much.”

Iowa is one-third of the way through the 18-game Big Ten schedule, so while it is early in some respects, a fourth straight loss would drop Iowa three games below .500 in conference play.
So, it could be argued that Thursday’s game against Nebraska is a must-win as Iowa tries to stay within reach of making the NCAA Tournament in Jensen’s first season as head coach.
Iowa has received a spark from its freshmen class as center Ava Heiden, guards Taylor Stremlow and Aaliyah Guyton and forward Teagan Mallengi all have made significant contributions as part of Iowa’s rotation.
Iowa’s veteran players, on the other hand, have struggled in recent games, especially on offense.
The veteran players were so used to playing with Caitlin Clark as the primary ball handler and scorer, so to not have Clark on the court has been a tough adjustment for senior guards Syd Affolter and Kylie Feuerbach and junior forward Hannah Stuelke.
Even graduate guard Lucy Olsen, who never played with Clark, has struggled in recent games.
Olsen, Affolter and Stuelke were a combined 5-of-21 from the field against Indiana.
Jensen played three freshmen – Heiden, Stremlow and Guyton – down the stretch against Indiana, while Olsen, Affolter and Feuerbach watched from the bench.
“Our young kids, man, they’re brining it, and I think that’s the thing that is real promising,” Jensen said. “I feel badly for our upper-classmen. I think they’re pressing. I think the young kids are bringing it and the upper-classmen are pressing.
“And I think there’s a fine line between the competition of wanting to get minutes and then being able to manage that competition. And I think that’s where the pressing comes in. But when I say that it’s not in any way, shape or form hurting our team chemistry. Our team chemistry is great.”
As for the Cornhuskers, center Alexis Markowski recorded her seventh double-double of the season and 47th of her career with 14 points and 14 rebounds against Rutgers on Sunday.
Nebraska will likely play without Natalie Potts and Allison Weidner due to injury.
Nebraska (13-4, 4-2) vs. Iowa (12-5, 2-4)
When: Thursday, 6 p.m.
Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena
TV: Big Ten Network
Radio: Hawkeye Radio Network
All-time series: Iowa leads the all-time series, 26-14 and has won nine out of the last 10 matchups.
UI and Nebraska last met in the 2024 B1G Tournament Championship, the Hawkeyes held on in OT to claim their third consecutive conference title. (94-89)