The Badger State has been good to Lisa Bluder and Co. over the years and Taylor Stremlow, along with incoming freshman teammate Teagan Mallegni, will try to continue the good fortune with players from Wisconsin. Taylor was the second player to commit to the class of ’24, way back in December of 2022.
“I’ve grown more and more sure of my decision with each visit and phone call and that’s a really great feeling,” said Taylor prior to Signing Day.
Stremlow is a four-star prospect by ESPN and is ranked as the #94 player in the country. She committed to Iowa over Illinois, Penn State and Wisconsin. As a senior at Verona, Taylor averaged 18.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, 9.2 assists and 5.7 steals for the Wildcats. Stremlow helped Verona to a 26-1 overall record and 41 straight wins in conference play. She was named Big Eight Conference Player of the Year for the second straight season, as well as Wisconsin State Journal Player of the Year.
We caught up with the 5-foot-8 guard out of Verona, Wisconsin to discuss her move to Iowa City, what stood out during the recruitment process and her upcoming freshman season with the Hawkeyes.
Q: When do you move to Iowa City and what is your excitement level like for that move in day?
STREMLOW: I move in on June 9th and I’m super excited.
Q: What has it been like watching Iowa advance to back-to-back national championship games knowing that you are going to join that program this summer?
STREMLOW: It was so fun to watch them thiss year and just continue to see all of the excitement around the program. Knowing that I get to be apart of it short of it shortly is super exciting.
Q: You were back-to-back Big Eight Player of the Year and won the Wisconsin State Journal Player of the Year award. What do those awards mean to you?
STREMLOW: The awards mean a lot to me and I know I couldn’t have got those without my family and all my amazing teammates and coaches, so I just feel so grateful.
Q: Recent State Journal POY winners, Teagan Mallegni (Iowa), Leilani Kapinus (Penn State) and McKenna Warnock (Iowa). What do you think about when you hear your name mentioned with those names?
STREMLOW: Greatness. I grew up watching Leilani Kapinus in high school and then McKenna when she was at Iowa. It’s such an honor to be put into a category with them and get the opportunity to play with Teagan who also won the award.
Q: What have you been doing since the end of the high school basketball seaosn to prepare for when you join the team this summer?
STREMLOW: Lot of lifting, workouts, open runs, and packing. Outside of hoops though I’ve just been trying to finish school strong and spend a lot of quality time with my friends and family.
Q: What do you remember about your recruitment? When did Iowa first reach out to you?
STREMLOW: They reached out to me my sophomore year and I just remember college feeling so far away and like a dream.
Q: What stood out about the Iowa program that made them an easy choice over other schools?
STREMLOW: The decision was tough for many reasons, but ultimately Iowa just felt like home and I knew it was the right place for my game and me as a person.
Q: What is your relationship like with the other incoming freshman? What about current players?
STREMLOW: I’ve connected with some current players and have talked a lot with my ’24 teammates. It’s nice to have them to talk to as we’re all going through the same process and preparing to go to Iowa.
Q: What are you most excited for when you think about playing for Ioaw next seaosn?
STREMLOW: I’m excited for the pace of play and also the fans. I’ve never played in front of that huge of a crowd, so it’s really exciting to think about.
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