Catching up with Iowa women’s basketball as a European summer trip approaches

IOWA CITY — What can you learn in 15 minutes?

Sometimes, a pretty good amount.

The University of Iowa women’s basketball team welcomed the media for a brief summer reunion Thursday morning at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Nearly four months after concluding the most successful postseason run in program history, the 2023 NCAA tournament runner-up Hawkeyes (31-7) are gearing up for a more scenic, less stressful run of competition.

Here’s what we learned Thursday:

Iowa’s summer trip

Iowa takes its once-every-four-years voyage Aug. 4-16, when it visits southern Italy and Croatia.

The Hawkeyes are scheduled to play three games, but dates, times and opponents have not been determined.

For Kate Martin, now in her sixth year in the program, it’s her second vacation with the Hawkeyes.

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“We’re lucky that we have a coach (in Lisa Bluder) that wants us to experience other cultures,” said Martin, who will serve as a co-captain in 2023-24 along with Gabbie Marshall and reigning national player of the year Caitlin Clark.

The competition is a perk, but not the primary one, according to Bluder.

“To me, it’s more about the extra practices than what happens over there,” she said.

Marshall said that for the veterans, now is the time “to use our voice to encourage the young kids.”

The transfer portal

Judging by social media, a good portion of Iowa fans chafed about the program standing pat in the transfer portal.

The Hawkeyes didn’t have a roster opening until April 11, when Shateah Wetering announced her intent to transfer. She committed to Northern Iowa two weeks later.

Iowa will run with a roster of 14 scholarship players in 2023-24. The limit is 15.

Thursday, Bluder addressed the quiet offseason.

“There were about 1,000 players in the portal, and about 10 of them were good enough to play for us,” Bluder said.

“We were only looking for a ‘4’ or a ‘5,’ so there were probably about three players that would have fit with us.”

And in those cases ...

“Our ‘salary cap’ wasn’t as good as other people,” Bluder said, referring to NIL collectives.

The posts: Who starts at center?

For the first time since 2015, Iowa does not have a post named “Gustafson” or “Czinano.”

And that’s a concern.

“I was hoping that somebody would separate herself from the pack, but right now, it looks like post by committee,” Bluder said.

Who will start at center? Possibilities are Addison O’Grady, A.J. Ediger, Sharon Goodman and Hannah Stuelke.

“Nothing is going to be handed to me,” O’Grady said. “If I want it, I need to go take it. I’ve been embracing the possibility of a bigger role. I’m trying to be more aggressive, getting into position and making plays.”

A sophomore from Cedar Rapids, Stuelke seems to be more wired to be the starter at the ‘4,’ moving into the role vacated by the graduation of McKenna Warnock.

“If we would put Hannah at the ‘5,’ we would probably put (Martin) at the ‘4,’” Bluder said. “We have a lot of options.”

Injury update: The braces (are off)

A redshirt junior, Goodman’s productivity was limited last season in her first year back after a torn ACL suffered before the 2021-22 season.

Goodman did not wear a knee brace Thursday. Nor did Kylie Feuerbach, who missed 2022-23 with an ACL tear of her own.

Feuerbach participated in half-court drills Thursday, and is expected to be cleared for full-court work next week, Bluder said.

Iowa’s incoming freshmen

Bluder said that freshman Kennise Johnson-Etienne has gained her attention “with her defense and her speed.”

Johnson-Etienne comes to Iowa from Plainfield, Ill. She is one of two newcomers, joining Ava Jones of Nickerson, Kan.

Jones, who was severely injured in a 2023 traffic incident in Louisville, presumably will redshirt this season. She recently underwent surgery and will not make the trip to Europe.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com