With Caitlin Clark and Kate Martin moving on to their professional adventures, you might think Iowa Hawkeyes basketball is bracing for a slump. But Lisa Bluder, though no longer at the helm, isn’t sweating it—and why should she be? She’s got a secret recipe for success: the dynamic duo of Hanna Stuelke and Sydney Affolter, and they’re about to make some serious noise this season.
Bluder didn’t hold back on her admiration for Stuelke and Affolter during her appearance on B1G Tailgate. She showered them with praise, but hey, why wouldn’t she? “You can’t talk about this year without talking about Hanna Stuelke,” Bluder said, practically beaming. “What a great opportunity she has as only a junior. And Sydney Affolter, oh my goodness, just came into her own last year. She was All-Big Ten Tournament team when we won the championship.”
Translation? These two are about to run the show.
Hanna and Sydney: Ready for the Spotlight
Stuelke is already being heralded as Iowa’s next big thing. As the top scorer returning to the lineup, she’s got big shoes to fill, but the girl’s not sweating it. Averaging 14 points and 6.6 boards while shooting a mind-boggling 62.7% last season, she’s like a human highlight reel—except there’s no stop button. And don’t even get us started on her three-point shooting, where she casually hit 50% from deep. Apparently, someone forgot to tell her that centers aren’t supposed to have sniper-like accuracy.
But wait, there’s more! Affolter isn’t just along for the ride. She’s fresh off a season where she averaged 8.4 points and 6.4 rebounds, hitting a ridiculous 41.4% from beyond the arc. Oh, and did we mention she’s a senior? She’ll be leading with the confidence of a seasoned vet while raining threes like they’re going out of style.
Bluder summed it up perfectly: “Those two are really gonna lead us.” No argument here, Coach.
When Drug Tests Come for Greatness
Now, if you thought the story couldn’t get juicier, let’s talk about that time Hanna Stuelke got drug tested. After a monster performance against UConn, where she dropped 23 points like it was just another Tuesday, Stuelke was “randomly” selected for a drug test. Coincidence? We think not. When you torch a team as stacked as UConn and make it look easy, the skeptics come out of the woodwork.
Spoiler alert: She passed with flying colors—because, you know, pure talent doesn’t need performance enhancers.
Breaking Records and Breaking Hearts
Stuelke didn’t just stop at owning UConn. During the regular season, she casually dropped 20 points or more seven times, including an absolutely absurd 47-point explosion against Penn State. And when we say explosion, we mean fireworks. Stuelke went 17-for-20 from the field, setting a Carver-Hawkeye Arena record that’ll be talked about for decades.
With that kind of dominance, it’s safe to say that Stuelke and Affolter are set to lead Iowa into a new era—an era where being underestimated is their biggest advantage. While everyone’s focusing on who left, it’s these two who’ll be leading the Hawkeyes straight back to the top.