It’s been a roller coaster ride so far for the Iowa women’s basketball team and after the non-conference portion of the schedule, the Hawkeyes would tell you that the results were not what they wanted.

“Film never lies and that’s going to show us a lot of ways to improve,” said Caitlin Clark after the team’s latest loss to IUPUI.

Lisa Bluder’s squad got off to a 4-0 start, but a Covid pause canceled matchups against Drake, Seton Hall and USC. Those games certainly would have helped the Hawkeyes prepare for the second half of their non-conference slate.

Ever since the pause, the team just has not looked the same, taking losses to Duke, Iowa State and IUPUI. There have been times where the Hawkeyes look really good such as the UNI game, the second half vs MSU, the third quarter vs UCF or the majority of the IUPUI game. There have also been times where they have really struggled such as the Duke game, the Iowa State game and the fourth quarter vs IUPUI.

We take a look at some things to watch as the Iowa women go into Big Ten play with a 6-3 record and a 1-0 start in conference play.

1) Actually, Playing Games

The Hawkeyes have not performed at their best this season due in part to the stopping and starting they have had to endure so far. With their game vs Penn State already canceled and the increase in cancellations across all sports, this is something to watch closely. Lisa Bluder and her players have expressed that they feel the stoppages have really hindered their ability to get into a good flow offensively during games.

For Iowa to get in rhythm and start playing at their best, they will need to string together more than a game a week. While this is out of the control of the Hawkeyes, if they can’t play, they can’t fix their issues.

2) Caitlin Clark

Despite her 3pt shooting percentage being down, Caitlin Clark has still been impressive in a number of categories compared to last season. 2pt FG%, FT%, rebounds per game, assists per game and steals per game have either increased or stayed on par with last year’s numbers. Clark has also cut her turnovers from 4.8 to 3.8 per game.

“Even the best shooters have some games where they don’t shoot well,” said Caitlin Clark on her struggles early this season.

Clark is currently shooting just 25.0% from behind the arc, which is well below last year’s 40.6% mark she posted. The fact that 3pt shooting is the only category she is struggling in leads one to believe that it will turn around soon.

One thing is for certain, when Caitlin Clark is hitting 3pt shots, the team is better as a whole. In the Hawkeyes six wins, Caitlin is shooting 29.5%, while in their three losses, she is just 6/32 from behind the arc (18.7%). She is capable of turning those numbers around and it feels like just a matter of time before it happens.

3) Team 3pt Shooting

The 3pt shooting struggles are not just on Caitlin Clark, as the whole team is shooting below last years levels. Last year, Lisa Bluder’s bunch shot 40.8% from behind the arc, but this year’s team is at just 30.0% after nine games. That ranks 191st in the entire country.

Gabbie Marshall is the leader on the team at 43.8%, but that is down from 47.1% last year. Meanwhile, McKenna Warnock and Kate Martin are well below the numbers they posted last season.

“We’re not shooting the three well and I can’t explain it. I watch film and I see maybe we had 3-4 bad ones, but for the most part they’re pretty good,” said Bluder on the team’s struggles. “They’re threes that we make in practice. It’s frustrating…We are a good three-point shooting team, we just aren’t showing it this year…I have to believe that we are going to get back there.”

In the Hawkeyes three losses they are shooting just 23.5% from behind the 3pt line. If they are going to compete at or near the top of the Big Ten, they will need all of their 3pt shooters to step up and knock down more shots from outside.

4) Turnovers/Rebounding

When Iowa has been able to limit their turnovers and limit second chance points for their opponents, they have played very well. Take the IUPUI game for example. Iowa outscored the Jaguars 32-8 on points off turnovers/second chance after three quarters, but were outscored in the same category 15-2 in the fourth quarter and they blew a double digit lead.

Iowa outscored Michigan State 33-15 in that category, but were outscored by Duke 33-17, Iowa State 34-22 and Southern 38-14.

It’s a pretty simple. When the Hawkeyes crash the defensive boards and limit turnovers, the results are way better. This category will follow the team all through Big Ten play and will likely be the telling story in most games going forward.

5) The Big 3 Contributors

Caitlin Clark, Monika Czinano and McKenna Warnock score 52.2 points per game, which accounts for over 65% of the team’s scoring.

Clark has three double-doubles and two triple-doubles this season to help lead the offense, while Czinano has continued to score with incredible efficiency. Monika is averaging 17.9 points per game and her 63.6% FG% ranks 6th in the entire country. The third piece of the dynamic trio is McKenna Warnock, who has scored in double figures six times, while averaging 7.1 rebounds per game.

The trio will be leaned on to produce in Big Ten play and so far, they have been up to the task of scoring the bulk of the team’s points.

6) Who is up next?

While it is great to have a trio like Clark, Czinano and Warnock that can consistently put up 50-60 points, the Hawkeyes need consistent contribution from the other players that get on the court. Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall also have the ability to pour in some points, but bench contribution is needed.

Early in the season, the bench was contributing, albeit vs lesser competition, but as the competition has increased the team has not gotten great contribution from the bench. Tomi Taiwo, Kylie Feuerbach, Sydney Affolter and Addison O’Grady combined for 87 points in the first four games of the year, but that has dropped off to just 30 points over the last five games.

It puts a lot of pressure on a team if their bench is not producing because the starters are forced to play more minutes because they are the only ones scoring. Lisa Bluder will be looking for a player or two to step up and provide some help off the bench to lessen the stress on the starting lineup.

Bonus) Free Throw Shooting

The team has been excellent from the free throw line this season, ranking #1 in the country at 83.% from the stripe. With a lot of quality opponents in the Big Ten, the Hawkeyes figure to be playing a lot of close games and making free throws will be key in converting close games into wins. Monika Czinano has made a notable jump from 68% last season to 80.6% this season.