This group is special enough that:
+They won the regular season championship despite losing at home to Northwestern (and IUPUI), and then won the conference tournament despite the fact that Caitlin Clark led us in scoring in only one of the three games;
+They led the 14-team Big 10 in no less than six different categories - scoring, assists, assist-turnover ratio, team defensive rebounds, team FG and team FT percentage. They finished a close 2nd to Nebraska in scoring margin (which was a result of their earlier season struggles);
+They averaged nearly 2,300 fans more than the next best team; had more total fans than five other B1G teams combined;
+National punditry has started going out of its way both to notice, and in some cases to try not to notice this team and their mega-star, Caitlin Clark. Example - try to find one non-Iowa (or non-Michigan) write-up on the regular season finale against the Wolverines that won the Hawk women the regular season title - nothing but crickets and one garbage article about the whining Michigan coach not winning the co-title due to a COVID cancellation. Apparently "the wrong team won";
+My aging parents, both past 80 years old, got interested in the Iowa women for the first time EVER and watched every minute of every Iowa game in the B1G tournament. Watching my Mom, who has NEVER been interested in sports, ask me four times when the next game is on may be the most remarkable accomplishment of all.
I do worry about this group once we get to the Sweet 16 and beyond. One thing they cannot do now is grow taller, and the vastly superior height of most of the top teams is going to neutralize Czinano (we've seen that already) and make match-ups almost impossible. Still, a special team having a special season.
+They won the regular season championship despite losing at home to Northwestern (and IUPUI), and then won the conference tournament despite the fact that Caitlin Clark led us in scoring in only one of the three games;
+They led the 14-team Big 10 in no less than six different categories - scoring, assists, assist-turnover ratio, team defensive rebounds, team FG and team FT percentage. They finished a close 2nd to Nebraska in scoring margin (which was a result of their earlier season struggles);
+They averaged nearly 2,300 fans more than the next best team; had more total fans than five other B1G teams combined;
+National punditry has started going out of its way both to notice, and in some cases to try not to notice this team and their mega-star, Caitlin Clark. Example - try to find one non-Iowa (or non-Michigan) write-up on the regular season finale against the Wolverines that won the Hawk women the regular season title - nothing but crickets and one garbage article about the whining Michigan coach not winning the co-title due to a COVID cancellation. Apparently "the wrong team won";
+My aging parents, both past 80 years old, got interested in the Iowa women for the first time EVER and watched every minute of every Iowa game in the B1G tournament. Watching my Mom, who has NEVER been interested in sports, ask me four times when the next game is on may be the most remarkable accomplishment of all.
I do worry about this group once we get to the Sweet 16 and beyond. One thing they cannot do now is grow taller, and the vastly superior height of most of the top teams is going to neutralize Czinano (we've seen that already) and make match-ups almost impossible. Still, a special team having a special season.
