Iowa draws N.C. State in women’s Big Ten/ACC Challenge

Wolfpack reached the Elite Eight and went 32-4 last year

Jul. 11, 2022 4:28 pm, Updated: Jul. 11, 2022 5:17 pm

IOWA CITY — It’s very possible that the Iowa Hawkeyes will host two top-10 women’s basketball opponents in the space of a week in early December.

The Big Ten/ACC Challenge assignments were released Monday, and the Hawkeyes drew North Carolina State on Dec. 1 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Game times and television information for all Challenge games will be announced at a later date.

Iowa is coming off a 24-8 season in which it shared the Big Ten regular-season championship and won the league tournament title. The Hawkeyes were eliminated by Creighton in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

With all five starters back, including All-America guard Caitlin Clark, the Hawkeyes are a likely preseason top-10 team. So is N.C. State, despite losing post Elissa Cunane. The Wolfpack was 32-4 last year and reached the Elite Eight.

Iowa’s complete 2022-23 women’s basketball schedule will be announced later this summer. The Hawkeyes will host Iowa State on Dec. 7, and that — on paper now, at least — looks like another top-10 matchup.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com