Key Highlights
- Iowa women’s basketball will face Evansville in their second game of the season on November 9.
- The Hawkeyes are looking to build off their opening win over Southern and find an emotional leader for the team.
- Taylor Stremlow and Kylie Feuerbach, both captains, will be key in watching how the team handles adversity during timeouts and huddles.
- Molly Davis, a former Iowa player now coaching at Evansville, is expected to receive a warm welcome from the fans.
- The Hawkeyes are looking for confidence-building wins as they prepare for tougher challenges ahead.
Building Confidence Before Tough Challenges
The Iowa women’s basketball team will play their second game of the season against Evansville on November 9, tipping off at 2 p.m. on BTN+. The Hawkeyes (1-0) are eager to build momentum from their opening win over Southern and find a clear emotional leader for the upcoming games.
Emotional Leadership in Development
Before each game, there is usually one voice that delivers the final words of reassurance. In the past, Kate Martin and Sydney Affolter have filled this role, but now it’s Kylie Feuerbach stepping up as a sixth-year senior. Coach Jan Jensen recognizes the importance of finding an emotional leader for the team.
“We’re watching that unfold,” Jensen stated. “Kylie is doing a great job trying to step outside her comfort zone, but it’s important for multiple voices to step up and deliver what needs to be said.”
Youth and Confidence Building
Iowa will have the opportunity to bring their young core closer together with Evansville as one of their few non-conference games in the first couple of weeks. The Purple Aces (0-1) come off a 7-25 season, which marked a 17th consecutive losing season for the program.
Coach Jensen highlighted the importance of confidence-building wins early in the season: “Confidence is key with any team, but especially one with ample youth trying to slide everything into place for the first time.”
Homecoming and Nostalgia
Molly Davis, a former Iowa player now coaching at Evansville, will return to Iowa City as a graduate assistant. Her return is expected to create an emotional connection with fans who remember her from the program’s Final Four runs.
“I think about her randomly all the time,” Feuerbach said. “She’s very nonchalant, so she’ll probably just say a few words. But they mean a lot.”
Prediction and Analysis
The Des Moines Register’s Dargan Southard predicts that the Hawkeyes will treat their first home Sunday crowd of the season to a strong performance against Evansville.
“Iowa 87, Evansville 57,” Southard concludes. “The Hawkeyes likely won’t need any late-game heroics against Evansville, but keep an eye on who’s talking in the timeouts and huddles when even the smallest bit of adversity develops.”
The upcoming games for Iowa include in-state showdowns against Drake (Nov. 13) and at UNI (Nov. 16), followed by matchups against No. 18 Baylor (Nov. 20) and Miami (Nov. 22) at the WBCA Showcase in Orlando.
