One door closed, but another one recently opened for former Hawkeye Hannah Stuelke.
Stuelke had a stellar career for the Hawkeyes, making an immediate impact from the moment she walked on campus. The Cedar Rapids native became an interior force for the Hawkeyes, starting every game for Jan Jensen over the past two seasons.
After Iowa made an early exit in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Stuelke bid an emotional farewell to the program with high hopes of being the next Hawkeye to enter the WNBA. Surprisingly, Stuelke wasn't drafted in the 2026 WNBA Draft and is now taking her talents overseas.
Stuelke is headed to Italy to play for Serie A1 squad Broni
There are a few potential reasons why Stuelke failed to make a WNBA roster, and even though she is a talented post player, no organization gave her a chance. With the WNBA option mainly closed for this season, Stuelke is still getting a chance to play professional ball.
Next stop: Italy 👀🇮🇹@StuelkeHannah has signed with Serie A1 side Broni to begin her pro career! pic.twitter.com/7rRPhu7eKL
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) June 1, 2026
Pianeta Basket was the first to report that Stuelke is signing with Italian side Broni in the Serie A1 division. Broni finished eighth in the regular-season standings during the 2025-2026 season and was beaten by Schio in the Quarterfinals.
Stuelke is a bruiser in the paint, but she never developed a consistent mid or long-range game, causing her to slip out of the draft. Any team that needs a solid rebounder and finisher at the rim can use Stuelke, and she is getting a chance in Italy.
The WNBA has seen a huge increase in versatile players over the past few years, and a purely interior-focused big like Stuelke is not intriguing to most general managers, especially since she is only six feet two inches tall. She does provide solid rebounding, but she doesn't block many shots or make many outside of eight feet, slightly limiting her value. Stuelke still has the talent to make an impact on a WNBA roster, but she must develop a mid-range game to find a place.
Stuelke can make an immediate impact for Broni
Hannah has plenty of time to develop and work on her game before Broni's season begins in October, and she has the potential to make an immediate impact. Stuelke's ability as a proficient rebounder will be her biggest asset for Broni, giving them a potential replacement for Jillian Archer.
Archer led Broni in rebounds per game at 7.3 last season, but she is currently a free agent. If she goes elsewhere, Stuelke can easily take over that spot. The only options Broni currently has on the roster are Carlotta Gianolla and Andrijana Cvitkovic, who were both reserves last season.
Gianolla (4.0 rebounds per game) and Cvitkovic (5.4 rebounds per game) both averaged fewer rebounds than Stuelke (9.0) last season, albeit against vastly different competition. If Broni does not add anyone else in free agency, Stuelke has a great chance to immediately start.
Stuelke's success hinges not only on her rebounding ability but also on her inside scoring, and she needs her career 56.3 percent field goal percentage to carry over. If it does, she would easily have the best FG percentage on the team.
The door is wide open for Stuelke to make an immediate impact, and all Iowa fans hope she has a successful first pro season in Italy.
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