10 games in: New faces, new voices have emerged for Iowa women’s basketball

IOWA CITY — In a pivotal moment during Wednesday’s Cy-Hawk women’s basketball game, reserve Jada Gyamfi got off the bench and hustled down the sideline while the ball was in play.

Her warmup top stayed on. And she had no intention in going as far as the scorer’s bench.

She stopped, mentioned something to Coach Jan Jensen, then pivoted and resettled into her place on the bench.

What was that about?

Assistant coach Abby Stamp filled us in Friday morning:

“Jada mentioned a play that Jan maybe should look at,” Stamp said. “Jan went with it, and it drew a foul. It was a really cool moment for Jada, and for Jan.”

For so long, Caitlin Clark had been the primary face — and voice — among the Hawkeyes. Ten games into the post-Clark era, new voices are arising.

“Sydney (Affolter) does a lot of it,” Stamp said. “Lucy (Olsen) does it a lot through her play.

“Then you’ve got people like Jada. She’s a captain for us, and we see a lot of leadership out of her. She doesn’t play an awful lot, but sometimes when you’re on the bench, you can see things a little better.

“Our freshman class isn’t afraid to speak. (Taylor) Stremlow, for sure. Callie Levin, yeah. Aaliyah (Guyton) ... she’s a truth-teller out there.”

No. 21 Iowa (9-1) begins its Big Ten schedule Sunday at No. 17 Michigan State (9-0). Tipoff is 11 a.m. (CT) at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich.

“It’s another game in which we’re going to face full-court pressure,” Stamp said.

The Spartans are averaging 91.4 points per game, outscoring their opponents by 38.3 points per contest and are off to their best start in school history.

Wednesday’s outcome — a 75-69 comeback win over Iowa State — allowed Jensen to join Angie Lee (1995-96) as Iowa’s fastest first-year coach out of the gate through 10 games, at 9-1.

“I think she’s going an amazing job in all areas as a first-year coach,” Stamp said. “The way she navigated everything from May to November, with such grace ...

“She’s doing some things the same as Coach Bluder, she’s doing some things different.”

Iowa trailed by 10 points late in the third quarter Wednesday.

“Jan was talking in the huddle and the last thing I saw was the eyes of Sydney and Kylie (Feuerbach),” Stamp said. “It was a look of, ‘Hey, we’ve got this.’”

Affolter and Feuerbach both hit 3-pointers to close the quarter, and the comeback was underway.

Iowa women’s basketball coaches’ records, through 10 games

Lark Birdsong (1974-75): 3-7

Judy McMillen (1979-80): 3-7

C. Vivian Stringer (1983-84): 7-3

Angie Lee (1995-96): 9-1

Lisa Bluder (2000-01): 5-5

Jan Jensen (2024-25): 9-1

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com