Five straight losses for the Iowa women’s basketball team, and five reasons why

Hawkeyes will try to end the slide Wednesday at Washington

Jeff Linder

Jan. 21, 2025 11:25 am, Updated: Jan. 21, 2025 1:20 pm

Iowa guard Lucy Olsen (33) shoots the ball under pressure against Nebraska. Olsen and the Hawkeyes will try to end a five-game skid Wednesday at Washington. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

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They have trailed from start to finish. They have blown double-digit fourth-quarter leads.

They have missed free throws, turned the ball over, been consistently inconsistent.

As a result, the Iowa Hawkeyes are spiraling. Their five-game losing streak is the longest since 2013.

Iowa (12-7 overall, 2-6 Big Ten) takes another crack at it Wednesday, with a women’s basketball contest at Washington (13-6, 4-3). Tipoff is 8 p.m. (CT) at Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle.

What’s at stake? Lots, for both teams.

With 10 games left before the Big Ten tournament, Iowa is one of the last four teams in the NCAA field, according to ESPN bracketologist Charlie Creme. Washington is another.

How have the Hawkeyes put themselves in such a tenuous spot? Here are five reasons responsible for the five-game slide:

Free-throw failures

Traditionally one of the nation’s best free-throw shooting teams, Iowa is shooting 70.6 percent from the stripe this season, its lowest rate in 20 years.

It’s been worse lately.

In the last five games, Iowa is shooting 65.6 percent (61 of 93). The Hawkeyes lost the Illinois game from the line (8 of 17 in a 62-57 setback), and did it again in an overtime loss to Nebraska last Thursday, when they were 3 of 10 in the fourth quarter.

Too many turnovers

In three of the five losses (Maryland, Illinois and Oregon), the Hawkeyes have counted more turnovers than assists.

All told, Iowa has averaged 15.8 assists during this stretch, compared to 17.0 turnovers per game. In the 14 games prior, it was 18.5 assists to 16.4 turnovers.

And in five games in which the Hawkeyes have lost by an average of 4.8 points, two or three lost possessions have mattered.

Stuelke’s absence in Eugene

Hannah Stuelke suffered a concussion late in the Nebraska game. She missed -- and was missed in -- the Oregon game.

The Cedar Rapids native leads the team in rebounds (8.2 per game) and is second in scoring (12.9 ppg).

Stars haven’t aligned, consistently

Before the concussion, Stuelke had two solid games and two rough outings in the four previous losses.

She was 1-for-8 from the field against Maryland, then followed that with 18 points and 13 rebounds at Illinois.

Against Indiana, she was 1-for-6 from the floor, then it was 16 points and 16 boards against Nebraska.

Lucy Olsen has been similarly all over the board lately. She scored 19 points against Maryland, 16 against Illinois, but was 1-for-6 at the line in the fourth quarter against Nebraska and suffered through a nasty 2-of-12, four-point, five-turnover game at Oregon.

Olsen is shooting 33 percent (24 of 72) in the five-game slide.