Kate Martin, Gabbie Marshall to Return in 2023-24; Warnock Departing

The Iowa women's basketball team got a boost for the future on Monday, with senior stars Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall each announcing their returns for next season with their extra years of eligibility.

Much in the same way that all-Big Ten center Monika Czinano took advantage of her "free" fifth season to play one last season with Player of the Year candidate Caitlin Clark, Martin and Marshall will be key veteran leaders for next year's squad along with the senior-to-be Clark.

Rounding out the bonus eligibility announcements for Iowa's senior class, McKenna Warnock announced she was not returning to the team next season or pursuing a graduate transfer, as head coach Lisa Bluder announced Warnock was aiming to enter dental school at Iowa.

Martin, a starting wing and team captain in 2022-23, is averaging 7.0 points per game along with 4.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists. She's shooting a career-high 41.3% from deep for the season and is widely praised by teammates for her leadership and steady presence.

Marshall, meanwhile, is averaging 4.5 points in 27.2 minutes per game. Her shooting percentages are down across the board as she's struggled with her jump shot this season, but she's made seven of her last nine attempts from deep and may be rounding back into form as a complementary deep threat along with her extraordinary perimeter defense.

Warnock is the most productive of the three seniors, averaging 11.2 points and 5.8 rebounds in 28.4 minutes this season. Her minutes are second only to Clark's 33.8, and the points and rebounds are third on the team (both behind Clark and Czinano, unsurprisingly). Warnock has had a remarkable Hawkeye career, and she is due for a hero's sendoff at this weekend's Senior Day celebration.

The seniors' announcements mean that without any other roster moves, Iowa's scholarships for 2023-24 are all accounted for. In other words, Iowa cannot bring in a transfer portal player unless one leaves as well, and no team members have indicated plans to transfer yet (nor would they, here in the middle of a top-10 season).

Clark, Marshall and Martin have started in every game they've played for the last three seasons; they should all be fourth-year starters in 2023-2024, so that's three self-evident starting spots accounted for. Martin and Marshall's returns most directly affect players like Taylor McCabe and Sydney Affolter, depending on where Kylie Feuerbach is in her recovery from a torn ACL suffered in August 2022.

For the front court, as the roster sits now, Hannah Stuelke and Addison O'Grady would be in line to start at the 4 and 5, respectively. Stuelke doesn't have O'Grady's size, but she has been remarkably productive in the post in limited minutes here in her freshman season, and both Stuelke and O'Grady have been used in rotation packages with Czinano this season.

Above all else, next season's Hawkeye team got better today. Martin and Marshall are tremendous on-court complements for Clark's style of play, especially if Marshall's back to her sharpshooting ways, and their familiarity with her and the Iowa offense will make the Hawkeyes as difficult to stop as ever next season.

Warnock will be missed, but there's nothing wrong with being ready to move on, especially with as fine a career as she's put together in the black and gold.

Even with Warnock's impending departure and the questions to be answered on the interior, the Hawkeyes look loaded for another run at greatness in 2023-2024.