Iowa women’s basketball opens for real Tuesday vs. New Hampshire

IOWA CITY — True, it was “only” an exhibition against a Division-II foe.

But in that non-counting game, Addison O’Grady made a big step toward answering a big question.

O’Grady came off the bench to accumulate 19 points and six rebounds in a 12-minute Iowa debut Thursday. Continued production will help ease the sting of Sharon Goodman’s absence.

“I was a little nervous coming in, but more excited than nervous,” O’Grady said at the Hawkeyes’ media day Oct. 28.

O’Grady’s role was expanded when Goodman — Monika Czinano’s understudy in the paint — tore an ACL in the preseason.

She converted 9 of 12 shots from the floor.

“She brings us 6-4, which we don't have,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said of the Coloradoan after the ninth-ranked Hawkeyes trampled Truman State, 102-32. “She's got a soft touch and you can see she runs the floor very well. She has good hands and timing as well.”

The Hawkeyes open for real Tuesday, a 6 p.m. (BTN+) test against New Hampshire at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

It will be the first meeting between the two teams, both of which return all five starters from 2020-21.

The Wildcats were 5-15 last year.

All 11 Hawkeyes scored Thursday. All-America sophomore guard Caitlin Clark led the way with 25 points, eight rebounds and nine assists.

“I have no complaints,” Bluder said afterward. “I thought they played hard and that's all you can do right now and not worry about making mistakes because when you start worrying about mistakes, that's exactly what you do.”

Tuesday’s battle is the first of seven games in 18 days for the Hawkeyes. The first five are in Iowa (four at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, one at Northern Iowa), the next two at Cancun.

Iowa is 21-0 in season-opening games under Bluder.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com