The Caitlin Clark era is over, but have the Iowa Hawkeyes turned the page, or are they stuck bookmarking past glory?
The Iowa Hawkeyes are 9-2, filling seats at Carver-Hawkeye Arena like a box office hit, and yet, they find themselves under fire. Why? Because life after Caitlin Clark is proving harder to adapt to than Iowa winters. It’s been a whirlwind for head coach Jen Jensen, who took over the program post-Lisa Bluder and post-Clark—the two pillars of the Hawkeyes’ meteoric rise.
From the outside, Iowa’s record looks shiny enough to earn a pat on the back. However, Sunday night’s gut-punch loss to Michigan State, a nail-biter ending in a 68-66 scoreline, has sparked online warfare. The crowd-favorite Lucy Olsen had an off night, scoring just 13 points (six below her season average). Hannah Stuelke, bless her hustle, tried to keep the train on the rails, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Spartans from snatching the win.
And then, social media happened.
One fiery comment summed up the internet’s mood: “Most Overrated Teams: 1. Iowa 2. Nebraska 3. Tennessee…” The Hawkeyes found themselves lumped into a rogues’ gallery of perceived frauds, and it wasn’t pretty. It was like someone dumped popcorn on the floor during a sold-out game—chaos everywhere.
“Overrated” or Just Overanalyzed?
While critics sharpened their pitchforks, others rallied to defend the Hawkeyes. Some pointed out that ranking No. 21 nationally is hardly scandal-worthy for a program rebuilding its identity. “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” wrote one optimist. “And Caitlin Clark wasn’t cloned overnight,” another quipped.
But the critiques haven’t been entirely baseless. The loss to Michigan State exposed cracks in Iowa’s game plan—cracks Jen Jensen must patch before Big Ten play heats up. While Olsen has done an admirable job filling Clark’s massive shoes, one star alone can’t carry a program through choppy waters.
Jen Jensen: Captain or Catastrophe?
Jensen, the woman charged with keeping the Hawkeye ship afloat, is walking a tightrope. On one side, there’s hope—her team has a winning record and still draws crowds like a blockbuster sequel. On the other, there’s doubt—fans question whether she’s the right architect to build Iowa’s future. “We have to turn the page,” she declared at Big Ten Media Day. And while it’s easy to talk about moving on from Clark’s larger-than-life legacy, it’s proving much harder to do so on the court.
Turning Criticism into Fuel
Despite the noise, Iowa isn’t in a full-blown crisis—yet. There’s still time to tweak the playbook, light a fire under the roster, and silence the trolls on X (formerly Twitter). Every transition is messy, and every coach in Jensen’s position faces a gauntlet of second-guessing. The key question is whether the Hawkeyes can use the criticism as fuel instead of letting it burn them.
With only 12 games down and 29 left on the schedule, the Hawkeyes’ story is far from over. Whether they’re truly overrated or simply underrated in resilience remains to be seen. One thing’s for sure: they’re not boring. So buckle up, Iowa fans—this season’s ride is just getting started.
