Ex-Iowa teammate Hannah Stuelke gives Caitlin Clark her flowers - “She went through a lot of adversity”
Iowa Hawkeyes forward Hannah Stuelke praised former teammate and NCAA women's basketball all-time leading scorer Caitlin Clark for her sustained dominance in the WNBA en route to winning the Rookie of the Year this past season.
Stuelke touched upon the topic in an interview with CBS Sports during the Big Ten Media Days. The 6-foot-2 incoming junior hailed Clark for stepping up to the occasion and the way she's handled the adjustments during her transition from college basketball to women's professional basketball.
"I think she did a great job. She did a great job handling things on and off the court. She went through a lot of adversity. I think just the way that she handled that with grace and she's amazing," Stuelke said. [1:32-1:48]
The forward was Clark's favorite recipient of her passes from the low block. Stuelke improved from 6.5 points and 3.9 rebounds per game in the 2022-23 season to 14.0 ppg and 6.6 rpg in 2023-24.
The Cedar Rapids native was a great inside operator, making 62.7% of her shots from the field last season. She has proven that in Iowa's 111-83 victory over Penn State on Feb. 9 when she scored a career-high 47 points on 17-of-20 shooting from the field.
Hannah Stuelke expresses excitement to the 2024-25 women's basketball season
Hannah Stuelke was one of the key factors in Iowa's success these past few years. She took a big leap from being a complimentary player to a main post presence for the Hawkeyes.
Now, she is looking forward to a more exciting junior year, as she'll become one of the team's top players, aside from Villanova transfer guard Lucy Olsen.
"I learned a lot last season especially about myself about how I need to play (for the team). I think this season it just takes a step up. I think that'll be really exciting for me," Stuelke said. [1:26-1:36]
During the offseason, the forward worked on improving her shooting from five feet and beyond and her free throw shooting, where she made 62.9% of her attempts last season.
Stuelke also talked about the rise of women's basketball and noted that it keeps her motivated to perform at full force. She believes that the sport will be huge with the likes of Caitlin Clark, her former teammate in Iowa, providing the excitement in the WNBA.
Hannah Stuelke is one of the four forwards on Iowa's roster. Aside from her, the three other forwards are Jada Gyamfi, AJ Ediger, and Addison O'Grady, who also plays center.
The team kicks off its 2024-25 women's basketball non-conference regular season against Northern Illinois on Nov. 6 at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa.