MADISON, Wis. — For all the fireworks this past week produced, Iowa women’s basketball was due for a drama-free day to close the regular season.
After beginning with a riveting home win over top-10 Michigan on senior day — then delivering a tense, seesawing victory over Illinois that required every ounce of effort — the week ended with an inevitable Wisconsin ending. The Hawkeyes’ 32nd consecutive win over the Badgers went like many of the previous editions, as Jan Jensen’s squad rolled to an 81-52 victory on March 1 following a slow start.
There were, however, several developments that should aid these Hawkeyes (24-5, 15-3 Big Ten Conference) as they flip forward to the Big Ten Tournament. No. 2 seed Iowa will play Michigan State, Wisconsin or Illinois in a quarterfinal game on Friday, March 6.
Here’s a look at what stood out from the Wisconsin win.
A Chit-Chat Wright rebound sat atop the Wisconsin to-do list, and it arrived just in time.
With just 14 points over her previous three games, Chit-Chat Wright desperately needed to see something fall.
She had four crucial points late in the Illinois win on Feb. 26, but still finished without a field goal on just four attempts. Wright made sure early Sunday there wouldn’t be back-to-back goose eggs.
She drained a simple jumper less than five minutes in, then connected from deep to break a 28-28 tie as the second quarter wound down. That splash clearly spilled into the second half, where Wright drained three more treys in the third quarter alone. A productive afternoon materialized in a matter of minutes.
“I didn’t want to force anything,” Wright said. “Of course, that was a really good game for me. But I really just wanted to flow into it. I knew my shot would eventually fall. So just didn’t want to force anything and really take the correct shots.
“I would just say confidence. I came in with a better mindset of even though I miss one, I’m going to make the next one. And like you saw, I had a couple airballs. But I knew I had to just keep shooting to see one to fall.”
Considering Wright entered having missed 10 of her previous 11 attempts from 3-point range, a strong afternoon unfolding with multiple downtown swishes made it an even greater bounce-back. Five rebounds, two assists and just one turnover added to the confidence restoration.
Wright’s importance to this team is clear and obvious. With postseason action looming, Iowa hopes its sophomore point guard is pointed back in the right direction.
“If we’re going to keep enjoying the fun and success, we had to get her back consistently,” Jensen said. “Sometimes those fit athletes with cramping and their legs, we’re just trying to figure out the eating and the hydration. That on top of just managing the pressure. Good pressure, but I think today she (relaxed) and dropped her shoulders a little bit.
“We have a great nutrition and training team that’s been pushing all the buttons. I think we’re trying to figure that out. But we’re going to need her.”
With Hannah Stuelke’s status up in the air, some key depth developments moments behind her.
Although Jensen didn’t discuss Hannah Stuelke’s arm injury with an overly concerned tone, the fact that Stuelke sat against Wisconsin and remains day-to-day for the Big Ten Tournament increases urgency with the depth behind her.
The Hawkeyes feel decent about Journey Houston, who made her second start for Stuelke in four games. The freshman finished with eight points and tied for the team-high with 11 attempts in 25 minutes. What unfolded behind her was equally as encouraging.
Although Teagan Mallegni’s sophomore season has had trouble getting off the ground with an exhibition injury, a tonsillectomy and shooting inconsistency, the Wisconsin native pounced on a chance to shine in familiar territory.
Season-highs were everywhere. Minutes (15), points (10), assists (4), steals (2), 3-pointers (2). In fact, after missing 13 of her first 14 treys coming in, Mallegni now has more 3-pointers in her home state than any other state.
“All the support I have here is really amazing,” said Mallegni, who hails from the Madison suburb of McFarland. “Just to see them all and to be able to have a performance like that, that was pretty cool. I think it was about 130 (supporters who showed up for me). I’ve had it circled since the beginning of the year, just to see all of my people and have that feeling like I did in high school.”
Elsewhere, Layla Hays’ 10 points equaled her scoring production from Iowa’s last seven games combined. It was the freshman’s first double-digit effort since going for 13 points against Lindenwood on Dec. 13. Hays put up seven points and four rebounds in the fourth quarter alone.
Iowa definitely needs Stuelke back to make a serious March Madness surge, but bright spots from Mallegni and Hays should increase their confidence if called upon for a postseason moment.
Iowa delivers another minimal-turnover effort that offers more evidence of improved focus.
Following a one-turnover second half to finish off Illinois, Iowa stacked another clean performance on top. The Hawkeyes’ seven turnovers against Wisconsin set a new season-low and were the fewest in any game since having five in a 110-74 win at Northwestern on Jan. 31, 2024.
Even with Iowa really needing an entire half to warm up offensively, the Hawkeyes didn’t force things when they weren’t there. No guard had more than one turnover, including zero from Taylor Stremlow alongside nine assists. Wisconsin mustered just nine assists as a team.
“We do talk a lot about valuing the ball, being smart on offense,” said Stremlow, who had roughly 350 supporters in attendance with her hometown of Verona sitting just 20 minutes away. “I think we had too many turnovers and bobbles in this game, but you can’t win them all. We’re still just trying to stay focused in practice and have it translate to these games.”
While the foes from here on out likely will be much tougher than Wisconsin, Iowa has clearly honed in on limiting silly errors that can lead to easy transition buckets the other way. Consider that positive evidence with the stakes about to rise.
Dargan Southard is a sports trending reporter and covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa women’s basketball takeaways from Hawkeyes’ win over Wisconsin
Reporting by Dargan Southard, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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