From instant energy and scoring off the bench as a freshman to securing a starting spot late in her sophomore season to being one of the only returning leaders in 2026-2027, it has been quite the ride for Taylor Stremlow.
The "Strem Show" has been extremely fun to watch, espeically as she continues to develop in Jan Jensen's system, and as one of the few returning players next season, she will be heavily relied upon to move the needle forward.
According to Jensen, Stremlow is 'using the sting' of last season as motivation
Jensen's squad lost four players to graduation and five to the transfer portal, leaving the roster with only five players, with Stremlow one of the lone returners, alongside Ava Heiden, Layla Hays, Chit-Chat Wright, and Journey Houston.
Stremlow had a solid year last season after being inserted into the starting lineup following Taylor McCabe's season-ending injuries, but she is using last season's disappointing end as motivation and is pushing to take the next step in her development.
According to Jensen, Stremlow "had the best spring" out of any returning player on the squad, and is using the "sting of the end of last season" as motivation. The Hawkeyes were bounced in the second round of the NCAA Tournament by 10-seed Virginia, and shot extremely poorly from beyond the arc.
Iowa shot a horrendous 17.2 percent from beyond the arc in that loss, including a 10 percent shooting output from Stremlow, something she hasn't forgotten. She has been "attacking" the three-point shot during spring workouts, something that the Hawkeyes desperately need from her next season.
Whether starting or off the bench, Iowa needs Stremlow's shooting to succeed
Stremlow had a breakout season for the Hawkeyes last season, averaging career-highs in most statistical categories, including points (7.9), assists (4.3), field goal percentage (48.1), and three-point percentage (37.1) per game. For the Hawkeyes to be successful, she must shoot close to 40 percent from three and provide an offensive spark.
Iowa has a solid backcourt rotation heading into next season, featuring Chit-Chat Wright, Dani Carnegie, Stremlow, and Amari Whiting, and regardless of whether she starts or moves to a sixth-woman role, her development is critical.
Jensen's acknowledgment that she is attacking three-pointers aggressively is great news for Hawkeye fans who became all too familiar with what can happen when Iowa's offense got bogged down last season. When teams took away the paint, the Hawkeyes' offense slowed down considerably, and they couldn't hit enough shots from distance to make teams respect them.
Iowa beefed up the offense by adding Dani Carnegie from the transfer portal and uber-talented prospect McKenna Woliczko via the 2026 recruiting class, but having a knockdown shooter from beyond the arc is something Iowa needs next season.
If the rumors are true and the Hawkeyes return to a four-out-one-in offense, Stremlow's shooting becomes even more important. In the likely event that Jensen uses that offense, Ava Heiden will patrol the paint, with shooters surrounding her. If Stremlow can knock down close to 40 percent of her shots from three-point range and be aggressive attacking the glass, she can easily provide the instant offense Iowa needs.
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