Iowa Women's Basketball Looks to "Pop that Pressure Bubble"

Iowa women's basketball expected to visit with the media on Sunday, but it likely wasn't prepared for the questions it would have to answer. 

The No. 2-seeded Hawkeyes were 30-point favorites over No. 15 Fairleigh Dickinson in Saturday's first round game, but none of the 15,000 fans inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena could've expected the ensuing game that followed. 

The underdog Knights gave Iowa a run for its money, trailing by just one point with six minutes to play. The Hawkeyes were clearly flustered, but once they broke the huddle, they closed the contest on a 14-5 run to escape with a 58-48 victory. 

"I think I just saw a lot of a lot of tightness. But what I did see also is when it absolutely had to get done, they were able to do it," head coach Jan Jensen said during a press conference Sunday. "I don't think we've been as cold as we were this whole season, as we were last night." 

Though the outcome may have been closer than Iowa expected, it's just thankful to still be alive in the NCAA tournament. 

"There's 32 teams that are still playing, and we found a way to be one of them, and I'm proud of that," Jensen said. "We're focused on that, and we get another chance to to advance." 

The Hawkeyes' reward for winning is one final game in the comfort of Carver-Hawkeye Arena, but advancing won't be easy. Iowa's opponent, No. 10 Virginia (a bubble team coming in to March), has rattled off two wins at CHA, including an overtime triumph over No. 7 Georgia in the first round. 

Kymora Johnson will be the primary focus of the Hawkeyes' defensive game plan. The junior guard has put together a terrific campaign, leading the Cavaliers in points (19.2), assists (5.9), and steals (2.1) per game. Johnson's high-level regular season performance has carried over to the postseason, scoring 28 points in the win over Georgia. 

"She's a really high energy player, really consistent, just throughout all 40 minutes. So I think we'll definitely have to be on top of it," Iowa sophomore guard Taylor Stremlow said.

"Their lead guard, Johnson, is a special player, and they do a lot of actions with her," Jensen added. 

Johnson's efforts have helped Virginia mold into the 29th-ranked offense in Bart Torvik's adjusted offensive efficiency rating. The challenge of keeping the Cavaliers' formidable offense (74.9 PPG, fifth in the ACC), won't be easy for Iowa, but the goal is to focus on what it can control. 

The Hawkeyes can't control the temperature inside CHA or the unusual afternoon weekday tip time (1 p.m CDT). Most notably, they control their own mood. 

One of two things will happen on Monday. Iowa will come out with something to prove, or it lets the pressure of being a No. 2 seed get to it. The Hawkeyes are hoping they see the former against Virginia. 

"I think we'll see a little bit more after practice, but I think they know the importance of moving on like we can't dwell on yesterday," forward Hannah Stuelke said. "We've got an important game coming up tomorrow, and you just got to move on to the next." 

No matter the result, Monday's game will be an emotional one for Stuelke. It's her final time lacing up the sneakers to play on the Carver-Hawkeye Arena hardwood. 

"I'm glad that we got another game, and I'm just focused on doing my job and hoping that we get to play another one after tomorrow," Stuelke said. 

If Iowa wins, it earns a trip to Sacramento, California for the Sweet 16. That will be the main headline in the Tuesday newspapers, but a victory over the Cavaliers will mean the Hawkeyes have executed Jensen's lesson. 

The lesson? "Pop that pressure bubble." 

"I think that the theme for me is freeing them up. And I think we've done a pretty good job of setting the table," Jensen said. "But they're young. A lot of them haven't really been to this level of this stage before, so I think patience and trying to hit that fire and brimstone." 

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