Iowa's massive victory over in-state rival Northern Iowa was never really in doubt as the Hawkeyes led from start to finish.
With former star Lucy Olsen in the house, the Hawkeyes bounced back after a humbling loss to UConn. Iowa jumped out to a 40-11 halftime lead, put the game away early, and showed why they are worthy of a top-10 ranking. Iowa held UNI to a season-low 40 points in former Hawkeye Callie Levine's return, and four major takeaways came from the dominating performance.
Iowa has the length an athleticism to regularly disrupt opposing offenses
Northern Iowa is in rebuild mode after losing multiple players from last season, and it was obvious against the Hawkeyes. Many people have focused on Iowa's re-tooled four-out, one-in offense, but a defensive performance like the one against UNI can't be ignored. The Hawkeyes held the Panthers to 11 points in the first half, forcing 17 turnovers, and putting the game out of reach early. Iowa's smothering defense finished with three blocks, 11 steals, and forced 26 turnovers, proving they can be disruptive.
Transfer Amari Whiting has settled nicely into a Kylie Feuerbach-type role, guarding the opponent's best perimeter player and harassing teams at the point of attack. McKenna Woliczko adds even more defensive versatility. Woliczko can guard any position on the floor, and Jan Jensen hasn't been afraid to move her around. Woliczko even got minutes at center, proving she can be a versatile weapon on both ends of the court.
Iowa's bench is also much more well-rounded this season, especially on defense. Taylor Stremlow (4 steals), Journey Houston (3 steals), and Jocelyn Faison (1 steal) combined for eight of the team's 11 steals, and all three can guard multiple positions defensively. Stremlow and Houston are known for their hustle and grit on defense, and Faison's length and athleticism add another solid piece. Iowa most likely won't force 26 turnovers every game, but forcing 17 against a tough UConn squad and 26 against UNI is noteworthy.
Dani Carnegie found her rythm after a slow start to the season
After earning a First-Team All-SEC selection with Georgia last season, top transfer Dani Carnegie was still finding her footing in Iowa City. She has shown flashes of why she could easily be Iowa's best all-around player this season, but entered the UNI game shooting 40 percent from the field and 20 percent from beyond the arc. Carnegie has never been an elite three-point shooter, but shot a respectable 35.4 percent for the Bulldogs last season. It was only a matter of time before she found her footing, and hopefully her performance against UNI signals better things to come.
Following back-to-back 12-point performances against Eastern Illinois and UConn, Carnegie notched a team-high 22 points against UNI, adding six assists and four rebounds. It was a solid all-around performance, and she needs to consistently do that every game. Despite a strong fourth quarter against UConn, Iowa was humbled by the Huskies, showing how important Carnegie is. Carnegie has become a focal point of the offense, and if she struggles, the offense struggles. Iowa is more well-rounded offensively this season, but it all starts at the point of attack with Carnegie.
Carnegie had a quick turnaround after transferring and spending the majority of the summer with the Team USA 3x3 squad, and there was always going to be an adjustment period. She is a tough competitor and wouldn't be held down for long.
McKenna Woliczko showed her resilency with a nice bounce-back performance
Talented former five-star prospect McKenna Woliczko said she had a "freshman game" against UConn after the Huskies held her to 4 points and 20 percent shooting. She aggressively looked for her shot against Northern Iowa, tallying a near-double-double in the 38-point win. Woliczko finished with 14 points and a team-leading nine rebounds. She shot an efficient 67 percent from the field, knocking down two three-pointers, and she has been actively working on her long-range shooting.
Woliczko is an intense competitor and has had an immediate impact on the Hawkeyes in her first season in Iowa City. She quickly silenced questions about any lingering injury concerns after missing most of her junior season and half of her senior season. She is currently tied for third in points per game (12.5) and leads the team in rebounds per game (5.8), while also showcasing her defensive versatility. Freshmen always have ups and downs, but Woliczko proved her resiliency after a humbling performance against UConn. Adjusting to a new role on a new team is never easy, and it is even more difficult with six new players on the roster and a new offensive scheme.
It won't always be easy for Woliczko, but she does so many good things on the court that she will always find ways to make an impact.
Iowa has to clean up the sloppy turnovers
The new-look squad is still adjusting and gelling, but turning the ball over 20 times against Northern Iowa can't happen. Iowa was loose with the ball at times and was very sloppy feeding the post, something Jan Jensen noted in her postgame press conference. She was very displeased with their post entries and was adamant they could have gone into Ava Heiden more often. Iowa is a much better team than UNI, but the Big Ten won't be as forgiving.
Through the first four games, Iowa is averaging 15 turnovers, something they must clean up. It didn't come back to bite them against Towson or UNI, but it will in conference play. The Big Ten is extremely talented from top to bottom, with 10 teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25. If Iowa can't feed the post effectively, the offense will get bogged down. The offensive scheme relies on ball movement and timing, and the squad can't afford lazy passing.
It is still too early to make any concrete determinations, but Iowa has been a little too casual with the ball early. Most of the issues stem from the players still getting used to one another, and they can fix that. It isn't unfixable, and the squad clearly has camaraderie. They just need to get the timing aspect down.
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