Iowa women's basketball 2024-25 starting lineup predictions ft. Lucy Olsen
Now that the Iowa women's basketball star Caitlin Clark has departed to the WNBA, the Hawkeyes' lineup for the upcoming season remains a matter of interest for many. Moreover, after Lisa Bluder passed the torch to Jan Jensen, it remains to be seen how the roster will look under the new guidance.
For the post-Clark era, Jensen has secured Lucy Olsen, a Villanova transfer, along with incoming freshman Callie Levin, Ava Heiden, Aaliyah Guyton, Teagan Mallegni and Taylor Stremlow. ESPN ranks Iowa's class as 13th in the nation.
With Iowa maxed out at 15 scholarships, let's look at its possible lineup for the upcoming 2024-25 season.
Iowa women's basketball 2024-25 starting lineup predictions ft. Lucy Olsen
Lucy Olsen
The void left by the departure of Caitlin Clark and her scoring capabilities is projected to be filled by former Villanova star Lucy Olsen, an honorable mention All-America last season. She averaged 23.3 points per game last season, the most after Clark and USC's JuJu Watkins.
ESPN's fourth-best player in the transfer battle, she is expected to take the scoring responsibility in the upcoming season. For the Wildcats, she also secured 1,504 career points, becoming the 31st 1,000-point scorer for the program.
"We are looking forward to welcoming Lucy into our program this summer," Lisa Bluder said in April. "She is a tremendous student-athlete with an excellent resume. Her skill set and personality was exactly what we were trying to get out of the transfer portal. It's an exciting time to be an Iowa Hawkeye!"
Hannah Stuelke
Hannah Stuelke, one of Iowa's key players last season, is one of the Hawkeyes' best finishers. She had the best elevation around the basket last season and averaged 14.0 points per game. She's expected to step up her game in the upcoming season.
She is more likely to be a starter and will get more touches in the absence of Clark. Along with scoring 23 points in the NCAA title game last season, she displayed herself as a promising player for Iowa many times last season and is expected to do the same in the next season.
Sydney Affolter
Sydney Affolter started only 12 out of 39 games last season; however, she's expected to be a starter this season because of her all-around skills combined with efficient scoring. She averaged 8.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg and 2.3 apg in the 2023-24 season.
One of Iowa's top emerging players last season, Affolter shot 55.2%, including 41.4% from beyond the arc. Her promising skills were displayed in the 2024 regional finals, where she scored 16 points and five rebounds, leading Iowa to the Final Four.
Ava Heiden
Another candidate who can step forward as a starter for Iowa next season is Ava Heiden, a top-40 recruit for Iowa. Her addition can allow Hannah Stuelke to play at her natural #4 position, while she plays as an efficient #5. During her time at Max Preps, she averaged 17.2 points per game.
Ava was in attendance at Iowa's Final Four match against UConn in the 2024 March Madness. "It was fun to watch. Definitely, I can see myself playing with them next year, and watching the tournament has made me really excited to start my journey with them," said Ava.
Taylor McCabe
Taylor McCabe is another player who can defend well and be useful in the frontcourt. She is expected to have more minutes on the way after averaging 8.2 per game last season as a sophomore.
She can become the next long-range sniper after securing 46.1% from beyond the arc last season. At the same time, she will be there to stretch her arms on defense, becoming a possible priority point guard for the 2024-25 Iowa lineup.
Also read: Top 5 women's basketball players returning to Iowa for the 2024-25 season ft. Hannah Stuelke and more