| OPPONENT | #21/22 Iowa (19-7, 13-4) at #6/5 Michigan (22-4, 13-3) |
| LOCATION | Iowa City, Iowa (Carver-Hawkeye Arena) |
| DATE | Sunday, Feb. 27 |
| TIP-OFF | 3 p.m. (CT) |
| RADIO | Hawkeye Sports Network |
| TV | ESPN2 |
The Setting
No. 21/22 University of Iowa women’s basketball hosts No. 6/5 Michigan for Senior Day inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday, Feb. 27. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. (CT) on ESPN2.
Sunday’s matchup marks the 72nd meeting between the two teams. The Hawkeyes lead the series 51-20, including eight of the last 13 contests. Iowa has won five consecutive matches against the Wolverines at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
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 ESPN2. Beth Mowins (play-by-play) and Debbie Antonelli (color) are on the call.
PROGRAM QUICK HITS
- The Hawkeyes lead the country in field-goal percentage (.502) and free-throw percentage (.847), and rank in the top-25 in seven additional categories, including third in scoring offense (84.7), fourth in assists per game (19.3), fifth in total assists (501), 10th in free throws made (403), 12th in assist turnover ratio (1.26), 15th in defensive rebounds per game (29.5) and 24th in scoring margin (13.4).
- Sophomore Caitlin Clark leads the country in total assists (214), total points (705), assists per game (8.2), points per game (27.1), free throws made (166) and triple doubles (5) and has tallied nine 30-plus point games this season, tallying the most 30-point games in Division I women’s basketball.
- 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.
- 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.
- Last season, 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.
- 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 800 games or more in her career. She is in her 38th season as a head coach and 22nd at Iowa in 2021-22.
- Bluder owns a 458-241 (.655) record and a 241-139 (.634) conference mark at Iowa. In her 38 seasons as a head coach, Bluder is 814-383 (.680).
SCOUTING NO. 6/5 MICHIGAN
- Sunday’s matchup marks the 72nd meeting between the two teams. The Hawkeyes lead the series 51-20, including eight of the last 13 contests. Iowa has won five consecutive matches against the Wolverines at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
- No. 6/5 Michigan is 22-4 overall and 13-3 in Big Ten play — losing its sole Big Ten game at Nebraska (Jan. 4), 79-58. The Wolverines have lost all three Big Ten games on on the road — at Nebraska, at Michigan State and at Northwestern.
- Two Wolverines average double-figure scoring, including senior National Player of the Year candidate Naz Hillmon (21.2) and senior guard Leigha Brown (14.8). Brown has not played since Jan. 20.
- Hillmon ranks in the top-30 nationally in eight statistical categories, including 10th in points per game (21.2) and offensive rebounds per game (4.2), 13th in total points (530), field goals made (530) and free throws made (126), 14th in field goal percentage (.57.5), 15th in free throw attempts and 26thin double doubles (12).
- Junior guard Maddie Nolan ranks 10th in the country in 3-point percentage (.439), making 58 of her 123 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 19-7 overall and 13-4 in Big Ten play, coming off back-to-back top-10 wins over Indiana, including Iowa’s first road win against an AP-Top 5 opponent since defeating No. 4 Maryland on December 6, 1992, as well as a road win at Rutgers.
- Sophomore Caitlin Clark leads Iowa, averaging 27.1 points, 8.2 assists and 8.0 rebounds per game.
- Clark, junior McKenna Warnock, senior Monika Czinano and freshman Addison O’Grady have each tallied double-doubles this season. Clark has tallied 13 on the season (22 career), including a Big Ten record five triple-doubles, while Warnock and Czinano have registered two apiece and O’Grady has recorded one.
- Czinano and Warnock average 20.8 and 12.7 points per game, respectively. The pair also average 7.0 (Warnock) and 6.2 (Czinano) rebounds per game.
- Redshirt junior Kate Martin ranks second on the team in assists per game, averaging 3.1.
- Clark, junior Gabbie Marshall, Martin, Warnock and senior Tomi Taiwo have tallied 38, 37, 30, 24 and 18 steals, respectively.
THE BEST IN THE NATION (AND BIG TEN)
- Sophomore Caitlin Clark leads the country in total assists (214), total points (705), assists per game (8.2), points per game (27.1), free throws made (166) and triple doubles (5), while ranking third in field goals made (236) and free throw attempts, 20th in double doubles (13), 22nd in defensive rebounds per game (7.5), 26th in free-throw percentage (.869), 30th in total 3-pointers made (67) and 34th in 3-pointers per game (2.58). She has also tallied nine 30-plus point games this season, tallying the most 30-point games in Division I women’s basketball.
- Senior Monika Czinano ranks third nationally in field-goal percentage (.664), fifth in field goals made (219), 14th in points per game (20.8), 18th in total points (519) and 51st in free-throw percentage (.844).
- In the Big Ten Conference, two Hawkeyes are statistical leaders, including Clark’s assists per game, points per game, total assists, total points, triple doubles, free-throws made, field-goals made and free throw attempts and Czinano’s field goal percentage. Czinano also ranks second in the conference in field goals made behind Clark.
WHERE THEY RANK AS A TEAM
- Iowa leads the country in field-goal percentage (.502) and free-throw percentage (.847).
- The Hawkeyes rank in the top-25 in seven additional categories, including third in scoring offense (84.7), fourth in assists per game (19.3), fifth in total assists (501), 10th in free throws made (403), 12th in assist turnover ratio (1.26), 15th in defensive rebounds per game (29.5) and 24th in scoring margin (13.4).
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 (19.3) and ranks fifth in the country in total assists (501). 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 regular-season record and tying the record for most against a conference opponent. Former Hawkeye Kathleen Doyle previously held the Iowa record with 15 assists against Nebraska (Feb. 6, 2020). Clark 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.