A rainy-day conversation with Iowa women’s basketball player Hannah Stuelke

IOWA CITY — Sometimes, when conditions are favorable, Hannah Stuelke opens up a bit.

It generally takes a few questions, but when Stuelke’s trust level rises and the responses flow a little more freely (she’s actually quite funny), it’s gold.

The University of Iowa women’s basketball program is in transition. Lisa Bluder has retired after 24 years with the Hawkeyes, saving her best for last -- NCAA tournament finals in 2023 and 2024. Jan Jensen (Bluder’s longtime lieutenant) moves down a chair to the front of the Hawkeyes’ bench.

Five seniors have departed, including Caitlin Clark (two-time national player of the year) and Kate Martin (this summer’s feel-good story of the WNBA).

In their place are five freshmen, plus Villanova transfer Lucy Olsen.

The veteran core? That consists of gritty senior Sydney Affolter. And Stuelke, the junior from Cedar Rapids. It’s their team now.

Stuelke sat down with The Gazette at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on a rainy Friday morning.

Included among her thoughts ...

On her summer, which included grand-marshal duties at Houby Days, a key to the city and her recent captainship of the Iowa football team’s charity slow-pitch softball game ...

“(Houby Days) was fun. I got to ride in a really nice car. It was warm.

“The softball game, we kicked (Iowa State’s) butt (11-3). I really like Make-A-Wish (which sponsored the game). What they do is really special. I like to contribute to that.

“I’m (in Iowa City) all the time now. It’s home now.”

“My mom and I are running my camp this weekend (for third- through eighth-graders, at the Marion YMCA). It filled up fast. That will be fun.”

On her 47-point game Feb. 9 at Carver, in which she made 17 of 20 shots against Penn State (Iowa won, 111-93) ...

“I remember knowing that I was scoring a lot. It was a fun game for me. At halftime, I was relieved because I was doing my job.

“Scoring came pretty easy that night. At timeouts, the message was, ‘Just keep doing what you’re doing.’”

On May 13, the day it was announced that Lisa Bluder was retiring and that Jan Jensen would be the next head coach ...

“I was at home. We had a Zoom call when Coach Bluder told us.

“I was in shock, but not really. She had been in the game a long time, and I was happy for her.

“When we were told that Coach J would be the next coach, it was really exciting. She had opportunities (to coach) at other places, and I thought were loyalty to Iowa was cool. It’s our turn to be loyal right back to her.”

On the newcomers — transfer Lucy Olsen and a freshman class of five — and how their arrival might affect Stuelke’s role ...

“We’ll know more as the season progresses. Summer is about getting everybody introduced. We’ll see where everyone fits. Hopefully I’ll be able to play more of the ‘4;’ it will probably be some of both ‘4’ and ‘5.’

“They all look really good. They might feel confused, but they don’t look confused. Like the coaches say, if they’re going to make mistakes, make them fast.”

  Buy Photo

On her transition to a veteran role, and the definition of leadership ...

“I don’t like to speak up much; Sydney (Affolter) is better at that than me.

“I’m more likely to say something (on the side, one to one), giving them little tips.”

On the celebrity of her parents (JoAnna Mantz is a regular on KCRG’s On Iowa Live; Michael Mantz is active on social media) ...

“I think it’s fun. They both enjoy it a lot.

“Dad has a lot of opinions. I’m glad he can share them with other people and not just with me. People come up to me and say they love @HawkDad1.

“I watch Mom every Monday night on TV. She likes to talk, she likes the attention she’s getting.

“I think it all kind of takes pressure off me.”

  Buy Photo

On her free throw shooting, which rose from 46.0 percent as a freshman to 62.9 percent as a sophomore ...

“I had a lot more reps, and I made a lot of improvement. I worked with (assistant coach) Tania (Davis) a lot.

“Tania talks about me getting to 75 percent next season. We’ll see.”

On expectations for 2024-25 ...

“For us to keep getting better. Everybody says how important chemistry is. Finding that chemistry, it’s important for us to be successful.

“I think a lot of people are going to underestimate us. We still have a lot here, a lot to show, and that’s going to be exciting.”

On watching the WNBA, and a possible pro career, either in the WNBA or overseas ...

“I watched when Caitlin (Clark and the Indiana Fever) played Kate (Martin and the Las Vegas Aces). But really, I don’t watch it too much. I don’t subscribe.

“What I’ve been watching a lot is the Olympic Trials, the swimming and the track. I love the Olympics. And golf, (Iowa sports information director) Bailey (Turner) is going to teach me how to play golf.

“I’d love to play in the WNBA, wherever I’m drafted, to go somewhere new.

“Overseas? That would be hard. I’d get really lonely, and I can’t stand being lonely. Being in a foreign country, they don’t speak the same language and they pay with different money.”

On becoming more comfortable in a media setting ...

“I’m not really good with 50 cameras in my face. Maybe I should practice and get 50 friends with flashlights and stick them in my face.”

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com