Iowa Hawkeye Women's Basketball

Saturday,12/20/25…

This is the morning before the UConn game. I expect Iowa to struggle to finish within twenty points but I hope for better. I hope for a win! McCabe has to hit lots of threes and needs to assert herself, offensively…somehow find a way to free herself for shots and continue to pressure, defensively. Feuerbach has to hit her threes and continue her Lexie Hull-type defense. Stuelke has to shoot the damn ball when she’s open. She must be hitting those outside shots in practice. She needs to listen to her coaches and watch Heiden…don’t dribble the ball under the basket…make a move and go up with the shot. I don’t know anything at all about UConn’s bigs so I can only hope Heiden can stay out of foul trouble and make a real impact on both ends. Oh…I also hope Stuelke can stay out of foul trouble. Wright will probably be just fine but the same thing holds true for her as McCabe and Feuerbach (as well as Stremlow and everyone else)…They all need to have a great shooting game to have any chance. Deal and Huston have to continue improving and have break-out performances….the same with Hays, Johnson, Levin and Mallegni (I don’t know if she’s even playing)…even Gyamfi! The point is…if every Hawkeye who steps on the court can manage to play their best…there is a chance to win. Playing on a neutral court rather than at UConn is a help, too.

I don’t know why Emely Rodriguez was suspended and will not be at the game. It’s too bad. She’s a remarkable athlete and would not have been brought in from UCF if the organization didn’t know that. Assuming she does return, I hope she can learn to play team basketball.

It's now half time against UConn...The Hawkeyes are not setting any personal best records but they are only down by eleven. It looks like every one of the UConn players is really good but the difference in the game is UConn's defense for sure. There's nobody out there with Caitlin Clarks's talent but maybe Sarah Strong is somewhat unstoppable so far. It's still not impossible to win...but unlikely. It sounds like the announcers must be UConn's team. It's a bit annoying. Not just because they talk so much about UConn and don't know much about the Hawkeyes but also when they mention Caitlin Clark, they throw in Bueckers. It's like all the talk about Angel Reese whenever Clark is brought up. Give me a break! Those players are so far beneath Caitlin Clark that their names should never come up.

End of the third quarter...down by twenty-one now. Overall, UConn has better players, a stronger bench, more polished offense, better shooters and superior defense. Iowa looks really sloppy sometimes but that's probably due to the speed and quickness of the defense. This is looking like freshmen playing against seniors...not much of a contest.

Game over...blowout. Wright was good. Stuelke was okay...she DID make a mid-range shot. I don't know how Fudd ended up with so many points. I don't suppose there'll be a final four this season. I've had it up to here with the very existence of that coach, Geno.

Saturday, 12/13/25...

Iowa had their way with Lindenwood in a romp. I don't have much to say about the game except it was good to see Hannah Stuelke score so much but not so good to see her miss so many shots. Keep shooting, Hannah. The game (and your WNBA future) depends on it. I watched the game on Big+ and I must say...the announcers were pathetic, never mentioning statistics, often repeating inane phrases and sounding like high school amateurs. Being a Hawkeye fan, it was extremely disappointing that the announcers weren't up on information about the players at all.

Thursday 12/11/25…

I suppose it was unrealistic to imagine Iowa wouldn’t lose a game this season…and Iowa State just handed the Hawkeyes their first loss. So…Audi Crooks is just plain too big to defend. Even when Heiden, Stuelke or anyone has a great defensive position against her, Crooks’s body is so large that they can’t get close enough to the ball to do anything without fouling…and foul, they did. Also, I noticed that Crooks is obviously not fleet of foot...and it doesn't take much contact for her to lose her balance and go down. This makes it even more difficult to play against her because incidental contact with any other player is just that...incidental...but not with Crooks...she can't move out of the way. Even though Stuelke grabbed a bunch of rebounds, I’m concerned that her offense is lacking…she doesn’t seem to be hitting any shots this year but I wish she would take more of them…like when she’s standing near the free throw line with the ball, wide open…and passes instead of shooting. Shoot, Hannah! Shoot! Along that line, it was good to see McCabe and Feuerbach being more assertive with the ball on offense. Heiden was taken out of her game entirely. Wright is exciting to watch and she carried the team. She can handle the ball and find her shot but she also seems to be always looking to pass. One of the reasons I like watching these college and pro woman play is the joy they seem to have as shown in their smiles and facial expressions. Stulke, Wright...all of them just look genuinely happy to be there. I don’t know what the heck happens to some of them when they make it to the WNBA…it’s like some of them turn into thugs or something. It’s disappointing, for sure. Anyway, the Hawks looked really good in most of the game…fast-paced…passing…shooting…this should be an experience to build on as they face some serious opponents along the way. I have to say...it sure would be nice if someone (anyone!) on the team could make some free throws!

Monday 12/8/25…

It was a dominant win over Rutgers and the entire team performed well. However, I do have one negative observation to make and I hope, among my thousands of readers, that Jan Jensen will read this. I really like Hannah Stuelke but I’m concerned about her play. I want her to shoot the damn ball when she’s open. I want her to look for her shots and be more assertive on the offensive end. Also…she must have heard coach Jensen through these several years…”Don’t dribble the ball under the basket! Just go up and shoot!” Another comment…it just makes my day when Feuerbach and McCabe make threes…actually, when any of the Fever players hit from distance! Even Levin dropped at least one from there. I feel like I’m watching my daughters (or granddaughters…or great-granddaughters) out there even though I had only sons! I do hope Wright can play against Iowa State Wednesday…she seems vital to the Fevers’ game…and I’m looking forward to seeing how they can manage against Audi Crooks.

Saturday 12/6/25…

Okay…I started watching Iowa women’s basketball because of Caitlin Clark. I had read about her for a few years and was amazed to finally see her play on TV. (I must confess…I’ve watched every YouTube video of her games, including college and high school…and even soccer). Then I became a fan of all her teammates along the way and have since followed them all. So…now I’m a Hawkeye and Fever fan but above all, Caitlin Clark is the driving force.

Now…This is the morning before the game with Rutgers. I don’t know much about the Rutger’s team but I hope the Hawkeyes prevail with Iowa State and UConn looming ahead. As the team has won every game thus far, I’ve wondered how they would do against Audi Crooks or Lauren Betts…or powerhouses like UConn. The Big Ten is loaded with formidable opponents and even with eight straight wins the season is still just beginning.

Ava Heiden seems to be for real and Chit Chat Wright (if she can return from injury) is a legitimate ball-handler. Taylor McCabe can turn around a game when she’s hitting her shots and I wish she would be more assertive, offensively. Kylie Feuerbach is the Hawkeyes’ indispensable version of Lexie Hull. And then there’s Hannah Stuelke, my favorite (just ahead of Feuerbach). She seems to always be smiling or unfazed with the pressures of the game. Actually, she might do well with a bit more fire in her. I mistakenly compare her with Aliyah Boston but that’s not fair. She’s smaller and now is playing forward anyway. I do worry about her WNBA future because I want her to be more assertive offensively on the court and shoot more (and make more of those shots!). Heck, she scored 48 points in a game with Caitlin Clark at the helm so she CAN score!

Anyway, I think the depth of talent on the team is remarkable. I wish they could all play more! Taylor Stremlow needs to be on the court but so do so many others. Emely Rodriguez has great ball handling skills but seems to lack court awareness and doesn’t look for her teammates. I think that negative aspect can be improved in time but for now, she’s the only (very slight and temporary) weak link. It’s fantastic when Jada Gyamfi gets on the floor and the crowd goes wild and Journey Houston looks like she can be a starter. I can’t ignore the ability of Addie Deal or the talent of Layla Hays, Callie Levin and Tegan Mallegni! This team is stacked! And, as I said, I wish they could all play!

I don’t expect them to go undefeated…although that would be nice. I hope when they do lose a game, they are able to regroup and learn.

WNBA Problem and Solution

 Here’s what I’ve determined is what is at the core of the WNBA’s problems…and the solution.

First, I have to explain my interest in the league. It started when I read about a girl in college who was setting scoring records and was the most exciting player in the country. That was Caitlin Clark, of course. I watched her whenever the games were televised and was fascinated by every aspect of her game…shooting, ball handling, passing and attitude. Subsequently, I viewed all the videos of her high school and college…even playing soccer. I became a Hawkeye fan and developed an interest in all the other players on the team. I continue to follow the Hawkeyes as well as the players as they progress. I must confess to knowing very little about basketball before being so enthralled with Clark’s game…I am, after all, just a doddering old man. I continued watching as she entered the WNBA and became a Fever fan as well…now having an interest in all those players. 

Watching the Fever games wasn’t enough. I found myself watching other WNBA teams and learning just how athletic so many of the women in the league are. Caitlin Clark was not the only star. However, I was convinced that she was still unique. She had brought her outstanding play to the pros and did, indeed, stand out as the most exciting player in the league (in my opinion, of course).

In seeing so many great players and having the most exposure to the Fever, I was dismayed to see people like Wheeler and Fagbenle leave but I followed them to there new teams and watched their games just as I followed Martin and Olsen after they left Iowa. I like the play and attitude of some more than others…Wheeler from the Fever and Olsen from the Hawkeyes for example. I marveled at some of the athletes…Bonner, Chennedy Carter, Carrington, Ionescu (shooting in the 3-point contest!), Arike’s all-star performance and many others…Wilson seems unstoppable at times. The WNBA is filled with remarkable talent. 

There are some things I don’t like…the intentional violence and boring play. While Bueckers is highly regarded, I find her play to be boring…a lot of simple, pull-up jump shots…she’s no Caitlin Clark…there’s only one of those. Wilson isn’t exciting either but definitely has some moments. There are many, mostly unheralded, great athletes to see. There are others who are highly touted by the media or who speak highly of themselves who are…not very good. I can think of one…Reese. She seems to be extremely uncoordinated but has a knack for getting rebounds. Dennis Rodman comes to mind. She’s one of the players I’d be happy never to see in a game. (I do find great humor in seeing the myriad of YouTube videos of her inept performances, though!) The violence and physical assaults by some players is out of control. Actually, there are several who exhibit wonderful physical dexterity and are wonderful players but also are overly offensive, physically and, even though I respected their game earlier, I’d rather never see them again. 

Well, I think I’ve gotten off track. (I’m not writing this in one sitting…leaving for hours at a time and such. The inconsistent officiating, the prison-ball violence, the favoritism shown to some players. All this is available for anyone to see either live or on video. Everyone can see it. For one example, the time when Mabrey decked Clark…or later in the game when Sheldon lowered her shoulder and plowed into Cunningham with no effort at all to shoot the ball (this was the play that Cunningham reacted by grabbing Sheldon behind the head and was given the “T” even though it was instigated by Sheldon)…Carter slamming into Clark and Reese laughing about it…Bueckers pushing Cunningham (or was it Hull?) out of the way with both hands and Cunningham being called for the foul…there are countless examples of women elbowing, pushing and throwing to the floor, hooking, attempting to punch, eye gouging etc. (By the way, why in the world are these players allowed to wear those fake nails?..wearing those silly fake eyelashes and wigs is bad enough! This is a basketball game, for Pete’s sake!)

The WNBA is populated, predominantly by women of color and, I suppose, predominantly by lesbians. Personally, I don’t give a flip whether a player is white or black..or whatever. I don’t give a flip if they’re interested in women, men…or whatever. I only care if they are athletic, play well and play fair. There is a problem for which I can offer no solution…that is when two players are married or in some relationship off court. Whether they are on the same team or playing against each other…either way…there is a problem. Unfortunately, that same issue probably extends to the coaches and referees.

I suppose I could go on and on with examples of horrible, physical play that has been condoned by the league…players like Stewart running full-tilt into a crowd of defenders under the basket…and when one of them moves, it’s a foul on the defense. Special whistles! 

So…I began all this by claiming to have a solution to the most serious and glaring problem at the core of the WNBA. The real problem is the officiating. It is consistently inconsistent. I don’t know why some referees appear to be so incompetent or why they make so many blatantly incorrect calls…I don’t even want to go there because the inferences are just too demeaning to the officiating crews who may or may not be corrupt, coerced, compromised...or just plain incompetent. The individuals who are doing the officiating are probably underpaid and are certainly under-appreciated. The solution to the WNBA’s problem is to upgrade the officials. If that means tripling their salaries…fine. If that means firing them all…fine. If that means replacing them all with NBA caliber referees…fine. The most egregious aspect of WNBA games  rests with the referees. All fouls must be called, consistently, whether for against a perceived star. Paige Bueckers, Breanna Stewart and the other big names (the untouchables) in the league have to be held to the same standard as everyone else. The referees cannot consider which individual or which team is involved in a play…only whether there was a foul committed or not…and by which player. No bias based on a referee’s personal feelings…just call the game fairly.

That’s it. The problem is the referees and the solution is to upgrade the entire bunch of them…either with huge financial incentives or replacement. Just imagine how different things might be if Caitlin Clark’s assailants had been properly dealt with right in the beginning…if flagrant fouls had been called when warranted…if she had not been targeted by referees and called for non-existing fouls…if physical attacks had been met with immediate fines and suspensions. The same is true for every player in the league. No player should be subject to attack on the court which is then overlooked by biased referees. Every WNBA basketball game should be played by the rules throughout each game and those rules should be upheld fairly by an unbiased referring crew, always. The problem…referees. The solution…improve or replace.

Just to add to the above...This is 9/27 and the Fever lost to the Aces yesterday and have another home game before (probably) being defeated in the semis. I didn't notice the "special whistle" for Wilson but a lot of other comments claim she should be called for moving screens frequently. The Aces seem to be a much better team the the Fever. I really like the play and attitude of Mitchell (she's somewhat exciting to watch when she's hitting her shots) but she certainly could pass the ball more and learn how to help her team more with assists. I admire everything about the play and attitude of Boston but when I think of exciting players to watch, Hull stands far above everyone else...slightly approaching the sheer joy of witnessing the play of Caitlin Clark. So...when the Fever are eliminated (tomorrow probably), I'll be cancelling my League Pass because there's nothing else worth watching in the WNBA without Caitlin Clark. I enjoyed watching the Fever games all season because I had been exposed to all the players because of Clark. Beyond that, the poor officiating and prison ball permitted so frequently make the WNBA unwatchable for me.

Well, this is 9/27 and the Fever just won game 4 against the Aces...so I was wrong...again. I'll have at least one more game to watch. I also read that the Lynx without their coach and Collier lost to the Phoenix team. Shocking to me. Bonner seems to have learned to play basketball after leaving the Fever. I had such high hopes when she signed with the Fever but she chose not to even try. Oh...another thing about Bonner as relates to Caitlin Clark...there was so much criticism of Clark concerning how thin and slight she is...that she didn't have the body to compete in the WNBA. That's when I think of Bonner and others like Diggins...you don't get much slighter than that. Anyway, I'm not pleased that the Lynx have been knocked out by the likes of Bonner who screwed over the Fever.

Just a quick addition to the above...it seems that everyone involved with WNBA games (except referees) has issues with the lack of consistency and level of officiating in the games. The coaches, players and viewers have all been irate over calls for and against them. Some players are allowed to do whatever they want and others are called for non-existent offenses. Some players and coaches are handed technical fouls for almost nothing while, of course, others have free reign. 

If Paige Bueckers was guarded with the same physical intensity as Caitlin Clark, she'd probably be out, injured, by now...and would certainly not be scoring so well. On the other hand, if Caitlin Clark had been afforded the same "hands off" treatment as Bueckers all along, she wouldn't be injured and would probably be battling Collier, Wilson etc. for MVP...and the Fever would have a much better record. 

Obviously, I'm a Caitlin Clark fan and the way things have turned out with the abysmal WNBA officiating, I've lost interest in what could have (should have) been an exciting league to watch. As it is, and if the problem is not acceptably addressed, I hope Clark has the good sense to remain on the bench and/or just retire from basketball, take her money and go play golf. 

Next season could be very different in the WNBA. Having two more teams will dilute the talent level a bit and the hopeful changes to the officiating as well as the replacement of Engelbert may change the way the game is played. I wonder what players the Fever will protect in the expansion draft. Personally, I'd like them to protect Boston, Mitchell, Clark, Hull, Cunningham and maybe Timpson, Bibby and one of the guards. I think Howard is finished. If the Fever don't win today's game five against the Aces to make it to the finals, I suppose I'll just wait for Iowa's season to begin.

This is October 2nd...I did cancel my WNNBA League Pass right after they lost to the Aces. I have no interest in seeing the finals between the Aces and the Mercury. Seeing Bonner out there on the court actually trying after she played dead for the Fever would drive me nutso and watching Wilson get away with whatever she wants all game would be more than I could stand. While I didn't notice too much myself, there are numerous examples being shown in which the officiating seemed to favor the Aces against the Fever, especially where Wilson and Boston were involved. About the Fever next season (if there is one), I know I commented that the Fever could keep one of the extra guards like maybe Sims but I'm not so sure. Having two Mitchells running around without ever passing the ball should not be permitted. One MItchell is enough. I think the team should be built around Caitlin Clark's wizardry and Mitchell should not be the primary offensive threat. I also think that coach White would not (could not) do that. So...I think coach White has to go away and be replaced by someone like Brondello or Lisa Bluder. Caitlin Clark (I believe) is truly one-of-a-kind, a generational talent...and I don't think coach White can handle that. She has to go. Hopefully, the Fever organization will read this and follow my suggestions. Also, hopefully the league will also read this and follow my suggestion to get rid of Engelbert and revamp the officiating directives. The games should be officiated more like college games and/or the NBA, and fouls should be called when necessary and not based on referee biases. Prison ball should not be permitted and excessive violence should be dealt with immediately with suspensions, fines and/or permanent suspensions.

October 3rd...I don't think I mentioned before...the Fever's final game against the Aces was truly amazing. The spirited play by the team should have won the game if not for some extremely questionable calls by the referees...especially the fouls called on Boston. Assuming Hull returns to the team next year, I hope she practices shooting. If she had made a few more of her shots, the Fever would have won the game (and others through the season). Also, if Howard remains with the team, I hope she never attempts a 3-point shot ever again. With Mitchell having to play quarterback and produce most of the scoring, she (and the rest of the team) gave every bit of effort possible in their final game...Mitchell especially, giving more than she even had...and her body shutting down. Hull's tenacity was, as usual, spectacular. I even have to bite the bullet and commend Sims for having the ability to score and keep the Fever in the game. Next year will probably be a very different team (I hope) with the return of a healthy Clark and a coach who knows how to exploit her unique abilities.