Caitlin Clark and Iowa women’s basketball carry lessons from a historic tournament run into a new season

MINNEAPOLIS — Lisa Bluder walked across the Big Ten Media Days podium Monday morning at Target Center eyeing the Big Ten trophies glistening next to the dais.

“Darn, it feels pretty good to be back in this building, I have to be honest,” the Iowa women’s basketball coach said as she turned her attention toward the cameras and microphones. “Good vibes in here.”

Good vibes permeate a program that won its fifth Big Ten tournament title here and then advanced to the national championship game for the first time last spring. Tickets for the season at Carver-Hawkeye Arena are sold out. There are almost 48,000 tickets sold, Bluder said, for an exhibition game at Kinnick Stadium this Sunday against DePaul.

Big Ten Network will broadcast what serves as the first women’s college basketball “game” of the year Sunday, a little over six months after the Hawkeyes and LSU drew a record audience for the last televised game of the 2022-23 season.

In 2023-24, Bluder, reigning national player of the year Caitlin Clark and company are eyeing new trophies and records.

“(Clark’s) biggest challenge might be understanding that this is a new team,” Bluder said. “It’s not last year’s team. Understanding these are new players that are younger, that have to be brought along.”

It’s a process Clark, who averaged 27.8 points and 8.6 assists last season, has been intentional about.

“There’s going to be a lot of people playing that maybe don’t have the experience minute-wise, so you’re going to need to build them up, give them confidence,” Clark said. “Every single good thing that they do, point it out to them, show them what’s good and how they can continue to improve that.”

Who are the most improved Hawkeyes?

A trip to Europe in August gave this Iowa team an early opportunity to practice and play together. Bluder pointed to Molly Davis, Kate Martin and Hannah Stuelke when asked who surprised her on the court during that trip.

“Molly Davis, I just think she’s playing at a different level than she was last year,” Bluder said of the Central Michigan transfer who averaged 3.8 points in her first season with the Hawkeyes. “I think she’s more comfortable. As a transfer last year, I think she kind of eased into things. I think now she’s more comfortable and she understands this is her last shot.”

Meanwhile, if you’ve come to know Martin as the “glue” of the team, it’s time to add some new adjectives for a senior who averaged 7.7 points and 4.2 assists last year.

“She’s playing like a pro right now, honestly,” Bluder said. “She’s playing like someone that could be drafted.”

Bluder raved about Martin’s 3-point shooting and rebounding.

“She’s always been like the glue, an unbelievable team builder, connector,” Bluder said. “(Glue) used to be the lead word for her. It’s not anymore.”

Iowa’s lessons learned during a deep tournament run

The offseason was naturally the shortest in program history. Bluder is proud of how her team handled the extra attention and demands that came with a historic tournament run last season, but also has reflected on how she can do better.

“Looking back on it, this is going to sound crazy, but I wish I wouldn’t have practiced on Saturday (the day between the national semifinal win over South Carolina and the title game),” Bluder said. “We were so tired. The emotional high from beating South Carolina and getting back to our hotel incredibly late — which that’s one thing the NCAA has got to change, is they had South Carolina going in the media room before us so we had to wait until they were completely done before we got to go on and that made us even later. One of our starters was held back for drug testing and she didn’t get back until 1 in the morning. And then we’re back up at 9 doing media obligations again. And then we have team meetings in there, scouts.

“I wish that I wouldn’t have left the hotel to go to an off-campus place to practice. I think that just added to the emotional and physical drain of our team on that day.”

That experience is one the Hawkeyes are using now as they set goals for the future.

“We kind of took some time off after our foreign trip and started practice a little later this year to understand if you want to reach your goals in March and April, you need your bodies to be fresh,” Clark said. “By the time you get to that point, you’re physically kind of beat up. You’re mentally beat up. Understanding you need to be fresh for those points.”

Clark said she’s thankful Iowa’s players have access to resources that include a sports psychologist, message therapist and academic assistance. She said she “was cramping after the South Carolina game like it was my job.

“Right when I got back to the hotel I went right into a massage, I was chugging water, trying to get as much liquids and energy in me because we have a day in between where you’re not doing much on the court but you have to understand your opponent, get familiar with them and then go out and play for the national title the next day. It’s definitely a challenge, but when you’re on that stage there’s not anything you shy away from.”

The Big Ten tournament returns to Target Center in March. The preseason favorites aren’t shying away from the spotlight.

“Think back (seven) months ago when we turned this place into black-and-gold Carver North, pretty fun,” Bluder said. “Hope it’ll be a fun time in (five) more months.”

Comments: nathan.ford@thegazette.com