Hannah Stuelke has been waiting to arrive in Iowa City for quite some time, as she announced her commitment to Iowa way back in 2019 after she attended the Hawkeyes NCAA Tournament victory over Missouri at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. She is excited to finally get on campus next week and soon get to work on the court.
Stuelke is the highest rated of the three freshman for Iowa, as she is rated as a four-star prospect by ESPN and is the #45 overall prospect for the Class of 2022. As a senior at Cedar Rapids Washington, Hannah averaged 29.1 points, 10.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists, while helping lead the team to a 16-7 record and a 5A regional final appearance. Stuelke was a three-time All-District, All-Metro and All-State selection, as well as the winner of the 2021-22 Gatorade Iowa Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
We caught up with the 6-foot-0 forward out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa to discuss her move to Iowa City, as well as her upcoming freshman season with the Hawkeyes.
Q: What was your initial reaction to winning the Gatorade Player of the Year award for Iowa Girls Basketball?
STUELKE: I was definitely happy and just thankful that they chose me. It was unexpected, but my family, coaches and teammates all believed in me, and we got it done together.
Q: When do you move to Iowa City and what is your excitement level like for that move in day?
STUELKE: We are moving in this Sunday, and I couldn’t be more excited. There has been a lot of anticipation and I’m ready to get on campus and get to work.
Q: What number do you plan on wearing?
STUELKE: I will be wearing number 45. I wore this number in my earlier years during AAU, when I was first recruited to play for the Hawkeyes and this high school season, I was number 44. Since this is the next level, it just made sense to step it up.
Q: What have you been doing since the end of the high school season to prepare for when you join the team this summer? How was track season?
STUELKE: Since the high school season ended, I qualified for state track and have been working on tuning my skills and staying in shape. Also, I make time to spend with my family and friends, since I will be moving away from them. Not too far, but I will miss them.
Q: Looking back at your recruitment, what stood out about the Iowa program that made them an easy choice over others?
STUELKE: Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of being a Hawkeye and with their amazing program and loving, hard-working staff and team, I knew it was the perfect place for me to be.
Q: What is your relationship like with the other incoming freshman? Current players?
STUELKE: I played two years with Taylor and five with Jada. We have become very close, and we have great chemistry on and off the court. I have met all of the girls on the team, except Molly (Davis), which I can’t wait to get to know her. They are all great people and basketball players.
Q: What are your goals for your freshman season? Areas of improvement?
STUELKE: My goals for the season are to learn and to grow as a basketball player. We have so many great basketball minds on our team and staff and I’m excited to add that part to my game.
Q: The team brings back a lot of talent, including two All-Americans in Caitlin Clark and Monika Czinano…How excited are you to get to play with and learn from them?
STUELKE: I’m super excited to play with this top-level talent at the next level. They make basketball look so fun and I can’t wait to be a part of it.
