Jeff Linder

West Virginia Coach Mark Kellogg went viral — and roused Iowa fans — with his comment last Sunday after the NCAA women’s basketball tournament pairings were released.

Iowa guard Molly Davis is “attacking rehab” as the Hawkeyes prepare for their NCAA women’s basketball tournament opener against Holy Cross.

The wide-eyed, 16-seed Holy Cross Crusaders get their view at women’s basketball royalty when they tackle No. 2 Iowa in an NCAA tournament first-round game Saturday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Time, TV and notes for Saturday’s NCAA women’s basketball tournament first-round game game between No. 2 Iowa and Holy Cross.

Iowa City West won four relay titles — 4x100, 4x200, distance medley and shuttle hurdle — on its way to a Class 4A fifth-place team finish at the state meet last year. Of the 62 points that West accumulated at state last year, 48 1/4 are back for 2024.

The Gazette’s 2024 boys’ track and field watch list of top area teams and individuals. Lisbon won the 1A title last year, Williamsburg shared the 2A crown and both will be strong again.

For the third time, Iowa’s Caitlin Clark is an Associated Press first-team All-American selection in women’s basketball. She is a unanimous first-team selection (the only one) by the 35-person AP media panel.

Girls’ track and field: Led by Iowa State recruit Gracie Federspiel and the Stahle girls, Solon is well-stocked to contend for a third straight 3A state title.

Girls’ track and field: 2024 watch list of top area teams and individuals. Solon returns 55.5 points from its Class 3A title team of 2023.

Lance Pedersen, who posted a 79-29 mark in 10 years at Mount Vernon, will take the head coaching job at Clear Creek Amana, pending board approval Wednesday.

At first glance, Iowa’s road to a second straight NCAA women’s basketball Final Four is littered with familiarity. Here’s look at this week’s Carver combatants in the First Four and first- and second-round NCAA tournament games, plus a list of potential foes in Albany.

For only the third time — and the first in 31 years — the Iowa Hawkeyes are an NCAA women’s basketball tournament 1-seed. Iowa is the top seed in the Albany-2 Region, termed “Murderers’ Row” by ESPN analyst Carolyn Peck.

Meet The Gazette’s 2023-24 all-area high school girls’ basketball team. Clear Creek Amana’s P.J. Sweeney is the Coach of the Year. Solon’s Callie Levin is the Player of the Year.

In the University of Iowa’s rich women’s basketball annals, No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament have been uncommon. The Hawkeyes are expected to earn a rare 1-seed Sunday, when the NCAA bracket is released (7 p.m., ESPN).

As we close the book on the Iowa high school girls’ basketball season and transition into spring, here is The Gazette’s first draft of 2024-25 preseason rankings.