Taylor Stremlow, a guard for the Iowa Hawkeyes, was celebrating late on Sunday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena when she was called for a technical foul, which took teammates and supporters by surprise. The foul, which occurred during Iowa’s game against the Fairfield Stags, immediately generated controversy. It’s likely that viewers of the play wondered if she truly deserved that call.
Late in the second quarter, it took place. A Fairfield player’s shot had just been swatted away by Stremlow, making a solid defensive play. She made a small gesture in the direction of her opponent as she celebrated in the heat of the moment. It was merely a small show of enthusiasm following a pleasant block, not a major taunt. However, the officials saw that as going too far. They gave her a technical foul and blew their whistle.
Everyone in the arena responded quickly. The call did not sit well with Husky supporters, including former Hawkeyes standout Caitlin Clark. Jan Jensen, the head coach, appeared as shocked as anyone on the bench. Nevertheless, she and Stremlow were seen grinning as Fairfield got ready to make their free throws in a pivotal moment. A “we’ve got nothing to hide” shrug in response to an unexpected call appeared to be a moment of defiance. The coverage claimed that neither Stremlow nor her teammates appeared to be alarmed by the penalty.
Sometimes, perhaps too frequently, emotions are mistaken for infractions. Emotion is the foundation of basketball. Part of what makes the game so great is the roar following a block, the fast fist pump following a three, and the fire that ignites a comeback. Players frequently follow that line at the collegiate level, where there is a lot of energy and intense passions. Stremlow’s response didn’t appear to be malevolent. She didn’t appear to be trash-talking or attempting to present an opponent. It appeared to be a child pleased with a successful play. However, the referees had a different opinion.
That begs the question: where do you draw the line between excessively unsportsmanlike behavior and acceptable emotion? At times, it seems more like a judgment call than a clear-cut rule. Players and spectators respond to games in real time, and what appears innocuous to one may be offensive to another. It seems reasonable to say that this call struck a gray area given how divided fans and former players were right away.
Perhaps the referee reasoned that it was better to be safe than sorry while the game was still in progress. However, calls like these can mount up during the Hawkeyes’ anticipated long season. Even during intense plays, small decisions can change the course of events, irritate players or spectators, or just lessen the intensity. Nevertheless, it’s difficult to criticize Stremlow for expressing his sense of vitality. After all, stopping a shot, particularly one that is close to the rim, is a significant victory. It gives you a positive feeling. It’s a significant occasion that should be acknowledged.
I believe that this call felt unnecessary, which is why it was so controversial and why so many people found resonance with it. It wasn’t as if Stremlow threw a ball or shoved someone. There was no overt insult. Just a brief moment of self-expression, a gesture, and a celebration. That is a component of the game, in my opinion. It’s a component of the compromise and emotional ups and downs that every team experiences. Basketball runs the risk of losing some of its appeal if officials begin to call technical fouls on that.
However, officials are trusted to uphold order and ensure that the game is fair and respectful. Perhaps they perceived something different from their point of view: a subtle gesture that might have crossed a line. Perhaps they were trying to establish a tone: no overindulgence in celebration, no hint of disrespect, no edge outside of the play itself. However, everything appeared to be alright to Stremlow and the Hawkeyes supporters. A clean defense. an organic response. And there was not a single instance of malice or lack of sportsmanship. It felt human, if anything. vivacious. alive.
Ultimately, you could argue that this call represents the difficulty college basketball faces today: striking a balance between the unadulterated feelings of youth and the refined ideals of sportsmanship. Perhaps the hardest decision of all is whether a reaction was “too much,” rather than whether a play was legal. Stremlow and many onlookers thought it was appropriate in this instance.
