Iowa women’s basketball has a summer focus: Defense, defense, defense

IOWA CITY — If they defend, they could contend.

The Iowa Hawkeyes know there potentially are some big things in their future, but only if they can provide some resistance to their opponents.

“Everyone on our team will tell you that,” junior McKenna Warnock said in a session with the media at the close of summer practice Thursday morning at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. “Our defense, it needs to get better.”

With the return of all five starters, including All-American Caitlin Clark, preseason hype will be at the highest level of Lisa Bluder’s 22 years as head coach. For instance ESPN has the Hawkeyes at No. 9 in its “way-too-early” preseason rankings.

Iowa is coming off a 20-10 season, capped by a runner-up finish in the Big Ten tournament and a Sweet 16 bid in the NCAA tournament.

If a next step is to be taken, though, the Hawkeyes must shore up a defense that allowed 80.3 points per game. Nobody in the nation allowed more.

“The first two practices (this summer), we didn’t do anything offensively,” Bluder said. “Everybody knows our offense is amazing.”

So what needs to change? Scheme? Effort?

“It’s both,” Bluder said. “Definitely, effort is a focus. (The team) got the message, loud and clear. And there’s some schematic changes we have made.”

Clark, who led the nation in scoring (26.6 points per game) and was second in assists (7.1 per game) as a freshman, said that defense is “obviously the biggest thing” separating the Hawkeyes from the nation’s true elite.

“We’ve watched film of other teams, that play really good defense,” Clark said. “It’s a mindset, and it’s a skill that can be developed.”

Warnock said, “We’ve worked a lot on our closeouts. Our style will be different, but we’re also working a lot on lateral movement and getting quicker.”

So what would be considered marked progress? Seventy points per game allowed?

“How about 60,” Warnock said.

Iowa’s core is intact for 2021-22, but the periphery has changed somewhat. In addition to the graduation of Alexis Sevillian and Zion Sanders, the Hawkeyes lost Megan Meyer and Lauren Jensen via transfer.

They gained three freshmen (A.J. Ediger, Addison O’Grady and Sydney Affolter) and added Iowa State transfer Kylie Feuerbach.

“I really feel like I fit well with this team,” said Feuerbach, a sophomore. “There are a lot of reasons. I like the coaches. The team has been extremely welcoming. The location ... it’s only two hours from home.

“Iowa plays a really up-tempo style. They love to attack.”

Feuerbach and Clark were AAU teammates with All Iowa Attack.

“Kylie’s a special athlete,” Clark said. “She’s going to add depth for us.”

The season starts for real in about 3 1/2 months. The Hawkeyes aren’t shrinking from the hype.

“Last year, there was no hype,” Warnock said. “And we did really well. This year, we’re embracing it somewhat.”

Bluder said, “We want that. We want people talking about us as a top-10, top-15 team. We don’t shy away from it.

“There’s so much optimism surrounding this team. But championships don’t begin in January. They begin now.”

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com