By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – With Caitlin Clark on the roster for the past four seasons, defense was sort of an afterthought for the Iowa women’s basketball team.

The coaches probably didn’t see it that way, but with Clark draining logo threes and scoring points at a record-breaking pace, and with Iowa performing at an elite level, offense was the driving force behind Iowa’s success, which included finishing as the NCAA runner-up in each of the past two seasons.

Clark has since moved on to the WNBA, and that has caused Iowa to shift the emphasis to defense under first-year head coach Jan Jensen.

Iowa also had to replace three other key players from last season.

So, it has been a struggle at times, with Iowa having suffered a through a five-game losing streak in Big Ten play.

But Jensen’s squad has since won three games in a row, thanks largely to its defense, and will look to build on that momentum when it faces Minnesota on Thursday in Minneapolis.

Iowa is coming off arguably its best defensive game of the season this past Sunday when it defeated then-fourth-ranked USC 76-69 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

“That’s been us, the whole thing,” Jensen said of emphasizing defense. “It just got showcased (against USC) because we were playing a top four team. But I think the reason we had the success we have had has started with our defense.

“So, it needs to continue. I just think that particular game it got a lot more hype because we were playing one of the nation’s greatest players. But our defense has to be there because when we graduated that many people, that was the area I thought we could kind of lessen the gap. And I think for the most part, it really has held and it needs to because our offense we can go some stretches where we’re not scoring.

“In the past, that didn’t happen as much largely due to Caitlin just doesn’t let that ball be idle. But I do think our defense has been why we’ve been in every single game.”

Jensen was referring to USC sophomore sensation JuJu Watkins as being one of the nation’s greatest players.

Watkins scored 27 points in the loss to Iowa, but she had to work hard to get open, and she only made 8-of-22 field-goal attempts.

“I think just knowing each team’s scout real well and knowing who we have to stop and what we have to do to do that and doing it together as a team was really important in that last game,” said Iowa junior forward Hannah Stuelke. “So, just continuing that is important.”

Minnesota has lost three of its last four games, but the three losses have come against Michigan, UCLA and USC, all of whom have winning records.

The Gophers are also 12-1 in Williams Arena this season.

Iowa has won its last five games in Williams Arena by a margin of 29.8 points per game, but four of those wins came with Clark leading the way at point guard.

Minnesota under second-year head coach Dawn Plitzuweit has eight players averaging from 8.1 to 13.6 points per game .

However, its leading scorer, junior guard Mara Braun is out indefinitely due to a foot injury.

“They’re having a really great year, especially with the loss of Mara Braun. ” Jensen said. “Dawn and I have been doing this a long time and I’m really happy for her success.”

Iowa senior guard Lucy Olsen was named the Big Ten Co-Player of the Week on Monday after having combined to score 44 points in both of Iowa’s wins last week, including 28 against USC. The former Villanova star scored 23 points in the second half against USC, including 15 in the fourth quarter when Iowa pulled away.

Olsen started having more success on offense against USC after speaking with Jensen in the third quarter.

“I just felt she was playing so tight,” Jensen said. “And I just know what she’s capable of. I also know what it feels like to be a pleaser. I’ve grown up like that, too. She wants to do so well fore everybody.

“And so when you’re trying to get the look, you’re trying to run the play and you’re trying to make the read then all the sudden you’re not your best and then you can start to doubt. I was just reminding her, and I don’t even know if it was my reminder that helped or not.

“I’m just thrilled that she was able to, I think probably for the first time, really showcase what she’s capable of doing. But now the trick for her, too, is to kind of harness that and to do that more consistently.”

Iowa (15-7, 5-6) vs. Minnesota (18-5 6-5)

When: Thursday, 7 p.m.

Where: Minneapolis, Williams Arena

TV: Big Ten Network

Radio: Hawkeye Radio Network

Series history: Iowa leads the all-time series, 60-27 and have won the last 10 games against Minnesota. In the last five games at Williams Arena, Iowa has winning margin of 29.8 points per game.