After Caitlin Clark left for the WNBA and head coach Lisa Bluder retired, many thought Iowa women’s basketball would fall out of contention and relevancy. However, under new head coach Jan Jensen and an evolved team philosophy, the No. 22-ranked Hawkeyes have gotten off to a tremendous 9-2 start.
The biggest difference between this year’s team and the Clark-led Hawkeyes teams? This team is built on defense rather than offense. The 2022-23 and 2023-24 Hawkeyes had the second- and first-ranked offenses in college basketball, respectively; however, during those seasons, they ranked 250th and 234th out of 360 Division I teams on defense. Both teams reached the national championship game, making it clear that a fast-paced offense built around a transcendent player was the key to success. However, without a transcendent player on the roster, how does a team adjust? With defense!
This season, the Hawkeyes have the 111th-ranked defense and the 81st-ranked offense in the country. Despite the massive drop-off offensively without Clark, the Hawkeyes have been able to find success stifling teams with excellent defensive principles.
Here are the three strategic keys to the Hawkeyes’ defensive identity:
#1 Ball pressure
Part of the reason why Iowa has been so successful on…
