When second-seeded Iowa’s season closed with an 83-75 double-overtime loss against Virginia, it also meant the end of senior forward Hannah Stuelke’s Hawkeye career.
After the shocking round of 32 loss, Stuelke shared what she would take out of the experience at Iowa.
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“I’m really thankful for the opportunity to play here. It’s been a lot of fun. Just spending time with these girls has been such a blessing to me. Obviously not the way we wanted the game to go, but yeah, I think I’ll carry it throughout my life and learn from it, and I’ll be a stronger person for it,” Stuelke said.
As her career closes, Stuelke said Iowa has an exciting future.
“It’ll be trending upwards. The young girls on this team are really great, and if they keep growing, they’re gonna be spectacular,” Stuelke said. “So I’m excited to keep watching them and cheering them on, and hopefully they’ll text me if they need any advice.”
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Although the Hawkeyes’ season came to a premature conclusion on Monday, Stuelke put forth a sensational stat line. The 6-foot-2 forward totaled 15 points on 7-for-12 shooting, to go along with a career-high 19 rebounds. Stuelke added six assists, one steal, and one block in 49 minutes of play.
Stuelke’s 19 rebounds matched an Iowa NCAA Tournament record (Megan Gustafson, 2019). It was the 11th double-double of the season for Stuelke and the 22nd of her career.
Stuelke concludes her college career with 136 games played and 96 starts. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native averaged 11.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while shooting 56.3% from the field in her Hawkeye career. During her senior season, Stuelke averaged 13.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game.
With Stuelke, Kylie Feuerbach, Taylor McCabe, and Jada Gyamfi all departing seniors, the Hawkeyes’ core of sophomore stars will become more relied upon next fall, alongside their crop of soon-to-be sophomores and the anticipated immediate impact of incoming freshman forward McKenna Woliczko.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Hannah Stuelke optimistic on future of Iowa women’s basketball
