Hannah Stuelke expected to return for Iowa’s game Tuesday vs. Northwestern

IOWA CITY — Hannah Stuelke’s absence doesn’t appear to be a prolonged one.

Assistant coach Randi Henderson indicated Monday that Stuelke will be back on the court when Iowa hosts Northwestern in a Big Ten women’s basketball game Tuesday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Tipoff is 7 p.m.

“Hannah is looking good,” Henderson said in a zoom call with media. “I think we should expect to see her contribute.”

A junior forward from Cedar Rapids, Stuelke missed the Pacific Northwest swing due to a concussion she suffered late in the Nebraska game on Jan. 16.

Iowa (13-7 overall, 3-6 Big Ten) lost a 50-49 decision at Oregon in her absence, then responded with arguably its best performance of the season, an 85-61 stroll at Washington.

Henderson said that she believes that Stuelke would be a go at practice Monday.

“She’s resilient, strong and powerful,” Henderson said. “She’s going to produce, I’m sure, in a positive way for us.”

Stuelke has moved between the power-forward and center positions during her career. For now, she’s back in the post.

“She’s one of our best ‘4’s, and she’s one of our best ‘5’s,” Henderson said. “It’s something that we go back and forth with. She’s an elite athlete that is disruptive both on offense and defense.

“With her at the ‘5,’ it allows us to rim-run, and it opens the floor for the guards.”

In Stuelke’s absence, Addison O’Grady scored 17 points as the starting center and Ava Heiden provided four points and six rebounds of the bench.

Their minutes probably will be squeezed by Stuelke’s return.

“It’s hard to stuff three good post players into one position,” Henderson said. “It’s a good problem to have.

“Telling the truth is the best avenue. Addi and Ava are good team players, both of them have made tremendous responses, and we needed them both (last week).”

Iowa shot a school-record 71.7 percent from the field in the Washington win, one that had to be cleansing after a five-game losing streak.

“The 4 a.m. return (Thursday from Seattle) was brutal, but I think (head coach) Jan (Jensen) has done a tremendous job keeping everybody focused forward.”

Now, the goal is to not focus too far forward. The hoopla will be uber-intense at Carver on Sunday, when Caitlin Clark returns for her jersey retirement and No. 4 USC comes to town.

Northwestern (7-11, 0-7) is one of two winless teams in Big Ten play, along with Purdue. Five of the Wildcats’ 11 losses have been decided by six points or less.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com