BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- The Iowa Hawkeyes suffered their first loss in the post-Caitlin Clark era. On Saturday, the Hawkeyes' perfect 8-0 start under first-year coach Jan Jensen came to an end with a 78-68 loss to Tennessee in the inaugural Women's Champion Classic.
The loss of Clark, Gabbie Marshall and others from the 2024 senior class was most evident in the back court. Tennessee's relentless full-court press earned them 42 points off 30 Hawkeyes turnovers.
"I think it was one that we could have a shot had we played like I've seen us play," Jensen said. "I think we could have maybe showed a little better. I'm not saying would have won, but I think it's just hard to feel good about it when you have that many turnovers.
"[Tennessee] is going to make you win ugly, and it'll probably make you lose ugly unless you have some tremendous depth of ball handlers. That's just one thing right now, we're a relatively young team in the sense of minutes played in pressure situations."
Although graduate transfer Lucy Olsen is meant to take on most of the burden as the lead guard, she is still getting acclimated to Hawkeye veterans like Addison O'Grady and Hannah Stuelke. The defensive press proved an early challenge for this new-look Iowa team.
"The pressure, it weighs on the mind," Jensen said of the Lady Vols' full-court defense. Tennessee effected Iowa's decision-making at critical stretches of the game. The Hawkeyes led by as many as seven points in the first half, but empty possessions were there undoing.
Additionally, the Hawkeyes were outscored 44-34 in the paint and 48-33 in total rebounds. This is partly because Stuelke's ability to be a ball handling option helped break the Tennessee press, but also forced her game out to the perimeter for long stretches. When Stuelke finally did attack the basket, the Lady Vols made her earn her points at the foul line. She was held to eight points and shot 1 for 9 while reaching the foul line eight times.
Moving forward, although Iowa will strive to allow fewer than 40 points on turnovers alone, being tied at the half with a SEC team at the caliber of Tennessee is a good test for a team forging its own legacy in Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball history.
"They're really good unit. They've given everything. They've welcomed the challenge. They're proud that Caitlin Clark and company came, but they understand that pages turn. Chapters need to be rewritten," Jensen said. "I think they've done a really beautiful job since the season started."
