It could, at times, be difficult for players other than Caitlin Clark to get much attention at Iowa during the 2023-24 season. However, the Hawkeyes were talented from top to bottom, including on the inside where Hannah Stuelke was excellent.
Without Stuelke on the inside, Iowa likely wouldn’t have made it to the National Championship Game. That came in a season where she transitioned from power forward to center too, as her head coach Lisa Bluder explained following the championship game.
“Hannah Stuelke, first of all, was a power forward up until about the beginning of November,” Lisa Bluder said. “So she really has adapted to her position. She didn’t really want to be a center, but we convinced her that she needed that. And if it was best for the team, she would do it.”
A sophomore, Hannah Stuelke has been one of Iowa’s best players during her time with the program. In the 2023-24 season, she averaged 14 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. She was even willing to make a move that she didn’t necessarily want to make when she transitioned to center.
“She obviously has improved her game so much this year and used — and everybody focused on she’s not tall enough, she’s not tall enough. You have other assets, right? You’ve got speed. You’ve got agility. Use those assets. And she has done it,” Bluder said.
“Even though she wasn’t playing the position she really desired and wanted to play, didn’t matter. She came and gave it everything she could all day. We talked about her growth as a young woman, as far as mentally and confidence-wise. And that gives me a lot of joy when I see my women just growing in that area of their lives because I know that’s going to last forever.”
As Iowa looks to make another deep run next season, Lisa Bluder is going to rely on Hannah Stuelke to take another step forward and become one of the leaders on the team.
Lisa Bluder on losing back-to-back titles
Despite going to back-to-back National Championship Games, Iowa hasn’t won one of them yet. That’s something that Lisa Bluder wishes she could change.
“It kind of makes me a double loser right now, quite honestly. It’s tough. But I know how hard it is to get here too. I say that tongue in cheek because I know it is really, really difficult to get to a Final Four. For us to be national runner-ups two years in a row, I’m never going to apologize,” Bluder said.
“So many people last year, oh, you’ll do it next time, like it was terrible we didn’t win the national championship. So many people said that to me. I’m like, darn, you guys, we’re national runner-ups. That’s pretty good too. So I’m never going to apologize for finishing second in the country. But it sure would be nice to win one.”
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