| OPPONENT | #21/24 Iowa (15-5, 9-2) at #6/5 Michigan (19-2, 10-1) |
| LOCATION | Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Center) |
| DATE | Sunday, Feb. 6 |
| TIP-OFF | 5:30 p.m. (CT) |
| RADIO | Hawkeye Sports Network |
| TV | B1G Network |
The Setting
No. 21/24 University of Iowa women’s basketball heads to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to take on the No. 6/5 Michigan Wolverines inside Crisler Center on Sunday, Feb. 6. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. (CT) on B1G Network.
Sunday’s matchup marks the 71st meeting between the two teams. The Hawkeyes lead the series 51-19, including eight of the last 12 games. Iowa has fallen on the Wolverines’s home court in four consecutive contests.
ON THE AIR
Radio: Iowa games are broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network. Rob Brooks (play-by-play) and Jamie Cavey Lang (color) call the action. Brooks is in his sixth year as the play-by-play announcer for the Iowa women’s basketball team. He has been Iowa football’s sideline reporter since 2004. Brooks has called seven different Iowa sports on radio or television. Lang is in her sixth year as Iowa’s color commentator. She lettered at Iowa from 2002-05. Lang finished her Hawkeye career with 1,265 points and 506 rebounds. She was a two-time All-Big Ten selection.
TV:
Sunday’s contest will air live on B1G Network. Matt Schumacker (play-by-play) and Christy Winters Scott (color) are on the call.
PROGRAM QUICK HITS
- The Hawkeyes finished the 2020-21 season 20-10 overall and 11-8 in Big Ten play, advancing to the Big Ten Tournament Championship game and the NCAA Sweet 16.
- The Hawkeyes finished the season ranked in the top-11 nationally in 11 statistical categories, including first in field goal percentage (51.3) and 3-point percentage (40.8), second in scoring offense (86.1), third in free-throw percentage (80.0), and fifth in assists per game (20.1).
- Head Coach Lisa Bluder and staff led Iowa to its 12th 20-win season over the last 14 seasons and 14th in Bluder’s tenure.
- Freshman Caitlin Clark earned consensus first team All-America status with honors from WBCA, USBWA, and The Athletic. Associated Press named Clark to their second team.
- Clark was named National Co-Freshman of the Year by The Athletic, USBWA, and the WBCA.She was also named the Dawn Staley Award recipient — an award that goes to the best guard in women’s basketball.
- In the Big Ten, Clark was named Freshman of the Year, unanimous first team All-Big Ten, unanimously selected to the all-freshman team. Junior Monika Czinano earned first team all-Big Ten honors. The pair were also named to the All-Big Ten Tournament team.
- Clark and Czinano led the country in seven statistical categories, including Czinano leading the country in shooting percentage (66.8) and Clark leading in points per game (26.6), total assists (214),
- Iowa has made 13 consecutive postseason appearances (11 NCAA, 2 WNIT) when a postseason tournament was held. The 2020 postseason was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The Hawkeyes have made a postseason tournament appearance in 19 of head coach Lisa Bluder’s 21 seasons at the helm of the program, receiving 14 NCAA Tournament and four WNIT (2003, 2005, 2016, 2017) bids, including eight Sweet 16 appearances — most recently in 2021.
- Bluder is one of six active Division I women’s head coaches to win 795 games or more in her career. She completes her 37th season as a head coach and 21st at Iowa in 2020-21.
- Bluder owns a 454-239 (.655) record and a 237-137 (.634) conference mark at Iowa. In her 37 seasons as a head coach, Bluder is 810-381 (.680).
SCOUTING MICHIGAN
- Sunday’s matchup marks the 71st meeting between the two teams. The Hawkeyes lead the series 51-19, including eight of the last 12 contests. Iowa has fallen to the Wolverines on Michigan’s home court in four consecutive games.
- No. 6/5 Michigan is 19-2 overall and 10-1 in Big Ten play — losing its sole Big Ten game at Nebraska (Jan. 4), 79-58. The Wolverines have won seven-straight games and are 11-0 at home.
- Three Wolverines average double-figure scoring, including senior National Player of the Year candidate Naz Hillmon (20.2), senior guard Leigha Brown (14.8) and senior forward Emily Kiser (10.0).
- Hillmon ranks in the top-30 nationally in eight statistical categories, including 11th in field-goal percentage (.583), 5th in free-throw attempts (128), 16th in field goals made (155), 17th in offensive rebounds per game (4) and points per game (20.2), 18th in free throws made (94), 21st in total points (404) and 29th in double-doubles (9).
- Junior gaurd Maddie Nolan ranks 10th in the country in 3-point percentage (.455), making 46 of her 101 attempts.
- Head coach Kim Barnes Arico is in her 10th season with the at the helm of Michigan Wolverine women’s basketball. Barnes Arico had guided the Wolverines to eight 20-plus win seasons in her nine years, four NCAA Tournament appearances, the program’s first NCAA Sweet 16 appearance in 2021 and the 2017 WNIT Championship.
(HAWK)EYES ON THE SEASON
- The Hawkeyes are 15-5 overall and 9-2 in Big Ten play, defeating Wisconsin, 84-50 — Iowa’s sixth consecutive road win.
- Sophomore Caitlin Clark leads Iowa, averaging 26.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game.
- Clark, junior McKenna Warnock, senior Monika Czinano and freshman Addison O’Grady have each tallied double-doubles this season. Clark has tallied 11 on the season, including a Big Ten record five triple-doubles, while Warnock has registered two and Czinano and O’Grady have recorded one apiece.
- Czinano and Warnock average 20.6 and 11.7 points per game, respectively. The pair also average 7.2 (Warnock) and 6.5 (Czinano) rebounds per game.
- Redshirt junior Kate Martin ranks second on the team in assists per game, averaging 3.0.
- Junior Gabbie Marshall, Clark, Martin and Warnock have tallied 30, 25, 24 and 19 steals, respectively. Senior Tomi Taiwo has tallied 15 steals while averaging 15.8 minutes per game.
THE BEST IN THE NATION (AND BIG TEN)
- Sophomore Caitlin Clark leads the country in assists per game (8.2), total assists (163), points per game (26.4) and triple doubles (5), second in total points (529), third in free throws made (123), fourth in field goals made (179), seventh in free throw attempts (137), 12th in defensive rebounds per game (7.9), 18th in free-throw percentage (.898) and 20th in double-doubles (11).
- Senior Monika Czinano ranks fourth in field-goal percentage (.655), sixth in field goals made (165), 12th in points per game (20.6), 26th in total points (391) and 50th in free-throw percentage (.847).
- In the Big Ten Conference, two Hawkeyes are statistical leaders, including Clark’s assists per game, points per game, triple doubles, total assists, total points, field goals made and free-throw percentage and Czinano’s field goal percentage.
WHERE THEY RANK AS A TEAM
- Iowa leads the country in field-goal percentage (.501) and free-throw percentage (.849).
- The Hawkeyes rank in the top-25 in seven additional categories, including third in scoring offense (84.2) and assists per game (19.8), sixth in defensive rebounds per game (30.9), seventh in total assists (395), ninth in assist turnover ratio (1.3), 10th in scoring margin (16.9) and 21st in free throws made (293).
YOU GET AN ASSIST, YOU GET AN ASSIST, EVERYONE GETS AN ASSIST
- Iowa currently leads the Big Ten and ranks third nationally in assists per game (19.8) and ranks seventh in the country in total assists (395). Sophomore Caitlin Clark leads the Hawkeyes and the nation with 8.2 assists per game.
- Iowa tallied 37 assists against Penn State (Jan. 25) to break the program’s single-game record, the Big Ten record against a Big Ten opponent and to tie the Big Ten record for most in a game – previously the Iowa record was 36 against North Carolina Central (Nov. 17, 2018) and the Big Ten single-game record is tied by Penn State (vs. Delaware St., Nov. 16, 2021) and Maryland (vs. Loyola Maryland, Dec. 11, 2017).
- Sophomore Caitlin Clark broke the Iowa single-game assist record, tallying 18 and breaking the Big Ten record in a regular-season Big Ten game. Former Hawkeye Kathleen Doyle previously held the Iowa record with 15 assists against Nebraska (Feb. 6, 2020) and tied with Nebraska’s Rachel Theriot who had 18 assists against Minnesota on March 7, 2014 in the B1G Tournament.
TRIPLE-DOUBLE THREAT
- Sophomore Caitlin Clark has registered five triple-doubles this season,
- Clark’s six career triple-doubles ties former Hawkeye Sam Logic’s Big Ten record (2011-15) for most in their career and ties fifth most single season (5) and career (6) triple-doubles in NCAA Division I history.
- Clark joins the likes of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, James Hardin, Luka Dončić and Giannis Antetokounmpo as the only NBA, WNBA, Division I men’s and women’s basketball to record back-to-back 30-point triple doubles since 2000.
- Clark is one of 10 women’s basketball players (15 times) to register back-to-back triple doubles in their careers — the only to do so with 30-plus points in the pair. Clark registered 35 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists at Minnesota (Jan. 20) and 31 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against Nebraska (Jan. 16).
- The Des Moines, Iowa, native is the first Big Ten women’s basketball player to register consecutive triple-doubles and five triple doubles in one season.