50 Iowa moments since Title IX: Lisa Bluder passes C. Vivian Stringer for most wins at Iowa

Editor’s note: This is sixth in a series counting down the Top 50 moments in Iowa Hawkeyes women’s athletics history in the 50 days leading up to the 50th anniversary of Title IX in June.

Lisa Bluder received another landmark win — and another commemorative basketball — after a 90-84 win over Northwestern in 2014.

She already reached 400 career wins after beating Iowa State, 500 career wins after beating Penn State and 600 after beating Purdue.

Then Bluder became the all-time winningest coach in Iowa basketball history — men’s or women’s — with the win over the Wildcats at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

She passed the legendary C. Vivian Stringer, who had 269 wins in her 12 seasons in Iowa City.

Bluder didn’t exactly dwell on the accomplishment. Her opening statement in her postgame news conference, according to the interview transcript, touched on rebounding, missed free throws, balanced scoring and the defense leaving “a little to be desired.”

The milestone? No mention of it in her opening statement. A reporter had to bring it up.

“We were going to get it, right?” Bluder said. “It was just a matter of time.”

That didn’t stop others from making a big deal about it.

“Oh my goodness, this is amazing,” Stringer said in a video played in Carver-Hawkeye Arena during the postgame celebration. “But does this surprise me? Not at all. Not at all. You’ve been a success wherever you’ve been.”

Lindsey Meder-Cowherd, a member of Bluder’s first team at Iowa who eventually played in the WNBA, also congratulated Bluder in the video.

“These wins are reflective of the type of leader that you have been for this program,” Meder-Cowherd said. “Through the years, you’ve helped shape the futures of hundreds of young women like myself, instilling skills necessary to win in any arena of life.”

At the time of the feat, Bluder’s Hawkeyes were the only Big Ten team to go to the NCAA tournament in the previous six seasons.

“I know that there are many wins, many more proud moments that are to come,” Stringer said. “So proud of you and our Iowa Hawkeyes.”

Spoiler alert, Stringer was right.

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