On Saturday afternoon, the Iowa women’s basketball team made a triumphant return to Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The 12th-ranked Hawkeyes responded forcefully just three days after losing its first game of the 2025–26 campaign, dominating Lindenwood from the first few minutes to the third quarter.
Iowa was hoping to recover from a difficult 74–69 road loss at No. 10 Iowa State going into the game at 9–1 overall and 1-0 in Big Ten play. Despite being disappointing, that loss demonstrated the Hawkeyes’ tenacity. In Ames, Iowa was behind by up to 17 points before mounting an intense late comeback that reduced the deficit to three on four different occasions in the last four minutes. Even though the comeback was ultimately unsuccessful, it taught us a lot about this team’s battle.
Chit-Chat Wright, a sophomore guard, was a standout in the Cy-Hawk defeat, scoring 21 points on 7-for-14 shooting and making four of nine three-pointers. However, sophomore center Ava Heiden’s foul trouble proved costly, limiting Iowa’s interior presence at crucial times. Despite this, Heiden is still the team’s top scorer this season, averaging 15.3 points per game and shooting an effective 63.3 percent from the field.
The game against Lindenwood on Saturday provided an opportunity to start over. Following a three-game winning streak and a 68-52 road victory at Drake on December 3, the Lions came into Carver-Hawkeye Arena with a 7-2 overall record. Despite not having played in ten days, Lindenwood entered the game with confidence thanks to senior guard Alesha Jones, who leads the Lions with 15.9 points per game and a field goal percentage of more than 52%.
Iowa appeared to be locked in from the beginning. The Hawkeyes took control late in the first quarter following an exciting early exchange that included a guard battle between Jones and Wright. With Hannah Stuelke already making an offensive statement, Iowa took a 24–15 lead after a 10–3 scoring run in the last three minutes. The sophomore forward set the tone for what would be a dominant performance with 11 points before the first period ended.
The second quarter saw Iowa maintain its momentum. The Hawkeyes’ transition offense was effortless as they converted defense into rapid scoring opportunities. Stuelke, Taylor McCabe, and Kylie Feuerbach all helped Iowa extend its lead to 41–25 at the second media timeout. Iowa had a commanding 50–34 lead at the half thanks to 19 points from Stuelke and 8 from McCabe. Even with the cushion, care was still required. The Lions demonstrated early in the third quarter why Lindenwood has earned a reputation as a second-half team. With 8:22 left in the half, they forced a Hawkeye timeout after cutting Iowa’s lead to 10 points with a scoring rush.
That was as close as it would get.
In response, Iowa reacted calmly, tightening up defensively and regaining its offensive rhythm. The Hawkeyes accelerated, performed flawlessly in the half court, and gradually increased their lead. Iowa had a 15-point lead by the time of the third-quarter media timeout. The Hawkeyes decisively outscored Lindenwood to take a commanding 72-49 lead into the fourth quarter as the run continued. With 19 points on 8-for-13 shooting and three flawless free throws, Stuelke led all scorers through the third quarter. Iowa’s efficiency on both ends of the court was particularly impressive, as the Hawkeyes capitalized on fast transitions and deft ball movement while limiting second-chance opportunities.
The game was broadcast only on B1G+ and began at 2:00 PM CT. It served as Iowa’s last warm-up before a high-profile stretch that includes the core of Big Ten conference play and a Champions Classic matchup with UConn on December 20. Saturday’s performance felt like a message following Wednesday’s defeat in Ames. Not only did Iowa win, but it also reaffirmed its identity and demonstrated to everyone why the Hawkeyes are still among the nation’s most formidable and disciplined teams.
