WBB Notebook: vs. Minnesota

SCOUTING MINNESOTA

• Wednesday’s matchup marks the 84th meeting between the two teams. The Hawkeyes lead the series 56-27, winning the last six matchups.
• Earlier this season, Iowa defeated Minnesota, 105-49, holding the Gophers to their lowest score against a Big Ten opponent in program history and recording the largest margin of victory over a Big Ten opponent by the Hawkeyes in program history.
• Minnesota is 11-13 overall and 4-8 in Big Ten play, defeating Wisconsin twice and Michigan State most recently.
• Two Gophers average double-figure scoring, including junior guard Sara Scalia (16.8) and redshirt-senior guard Deja Winters (11.3).
• The Gophers rank 11th in the country in 3-pointers made (204) and 13th in 3-point percentage (37.2) with Scalia ranking second nationally in 3-pointers made (78), fourth in 3-pointers per game (3.25) and 30th in 3-point percentage (.422), while Winters ranks 14th in 3-pointers made (58) and 35th in 3-point percentage (.414).
• Head coach Lindsay Whalen is in her fourth season at the helm of the Minnesota women’s basketball program. Whalen has led the team to a 47-42 mark (.528) with a trip to the WNIT in 2018-19. In addition, she has coached one WNBA draft pick, one All-American, nine All-Big Ten honorees, two members of the Big Ten All-Freshman team, one Big Ten All-Defensive Team player and 18 Academic All-Big Ten honorees.

(HAWK)EYES ON THE SEASON

• The Hawkeyes are 15-6 overall and 9-3 in Big Ten play, falling most recently at No. 6/5 Michigan, 98-90. 
• Sophomore Caitlin Clark leads Iowa, averaging 27.4 points, 8.2 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 12 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 20.2 and 11.7 points per game, respectively. The pair also average 7.2 (Warnock) and 6.2 (Czinano) rebounds per game.
• Redshirt junior Kate Martin ranks second on the team in assists per game, averaging 2.9.
• Junior Gabbie Marshall, Clark, Martin and Warnock have tallied 30, 28, 25 and 19 steals, respectively. Senior Tomi Taiwo has tallied 15 steals while averaging 16.7 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 (173), points per game (27.4), total points (575) and triple doubles (5) and ranks second in free throws made (135), fourth in field goals made (193), sixth in free throw attempts (151), 16th in free-throw percentage (.894), 18th in defensive rebounds per game (7.7), 18th in double-doubles (12), 31st in 3-pointers per game (2.57) and 35th in 3-pointers made (54).
• Senior Monika Czinano ranks third in field-goal percentage (.654), eighth in field goals made (170), 17th in points per game (20.2), 26th in total points (404) and 42nd in free-throw percentage (.853).
• 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, free throws made, 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 (.497) and free-throw percentage (.849).
• The Hawkeyes rank in the top-20 in seven additional categories, including third in scoring offense (84.5), fourth in assists per game (19.4), ninth in defensive rebounds per game (30.1), total assists (407) and assist turnover ratio (1.3), 15th in scoring margin (15.8) and 20th in free throws made (315).

YOU GET AN ASSIST, YOU GET AN ASSIST, EVERYONE GETS AN ASSIST

• Iowa currently leads the Big Ten and ranks fourth nationally in assists per game (19.4) and ranks ninth in the country in total assists (407). 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 and six in her career.
• 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.