A shocking second-round NCAA Tournament loss to Virginia prematurely ended Iowa women’s basketball’s 2026 March Madness run. During summer practices, Iowa junior guard Taylor Stremlow said that Virginia defeat has fueled she and the fellow returnee’s offseason work.
“I hate to say it’s all because we lost early, but, I mean, for me, that’s definitely been in the back of my mind always. I hate to lose, hate to lose in Carver, hate to lose when we should have won in my opinion. So, I think just knowing that I can and I will do better and that we as a program can and will do better.
“And there’s a lot of new people. Some of them haven’t felt that. They weren’t here with us, but I know that returning group still feels that little fire and the coaches definitely do. Just thinking about that every day. Whether you want to show up or not, continuing to see the bigger picture and making it happen,” Stremlow said.
But, while Stremlow and her fellow Hawkeye returnees will keep that Virginia loss on their minds as they navigate their offseason, Stremlow said it can’t be the team’s sole focus given the number of Iowa newcomers.
“I think you definitely don’t want to have that be the main thing, because, as I mentioned before, about half our team wasn’t there for that, so it doesn’t hold the same weight. I think having a group that doesn’t like losing, wants to win, is passionate, that’s about just as motivating. But, for us five that have come back, that’s definitely in the back of our minds as fuel,” Stremlow said.
Stremlow morphed into one of Iowa’s key cogs last season, starting 18 games. The Hawkeyes were 16-2 in Stremlow’s 18 starts.
A 5-foot-10 guard out of Verona, Wis., Stremlow averaged 7.9 points, 4.3 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game on 48.1% field goal shooting, 37.1% 3-point shooting and 67.7% from the free-throw line.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa women’s basketball returnees fueled by NCAA Tournament loss
Reporting by Scout Springgate, Hawkeyes Wire / Hawkeyes Wire
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By Scout Springgate, Hawkeyes Wire | USA TODAY Network
