The Iowa women’s basketball didn’t have to wait long for its postseason fate.
After starting the Big Ten season 1-6, the Hawkeyes won 11 out of their last 14 games en route to making a run to the Big Ten championship. Despite falling to then-No. 10 Ohio State, Iowa (19-13) did enough to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
On Monday, the Hawkeyes were announced as the No. 8 seed selected to take on No. 9 Rutgers (19-14) in the Stanford, Calif., regional on March 20. This is the third straight year the team has received an at-large berth.
“I really felt confident that we were in, so I wasn’t nervous,” head coach Lisa Bluder said. “But it’s always a good thing to see your name up there. No matter how many times you do this, it’s always fun to see your name go up there and just to see what your path is.”
For many of the players, there was a mix of excitement and relief in the air. Just finally knowing who they would see in the first-round was comforting.
“I think it takes a lot of pressure off the coaches right now,” freshman Morgan Johnson said. “They know how to practice us, what we need to work on, and what [Rutgers'] strengths are. Now they can use that and we can prepare better for them. It’s really exciting because now we know and it just makes it all the more real right now.”
Members of the team sat in front of a big screen TV on the third floor of Carver-Hawkeye Arena eagerly awaiting to hear who and where they’d play. After the unveiling of the first 1-16 seed match-up, Iowa celebrated as it’s name was revealed alongside with Rutgers in the 8-9 seeding, during just the second pairing to be released.
“You know I was a little bit surprised that we were seeded eighth,” Bluder said. “There’s no difference between being seeded eighth or ninth. I thought we might be a 10-seed but I’m thrilled that the selection committee thought we were better than what we thought we are sometimes.”
The two squads have only met twice in their history, with the Scarlet Knights winning both times. The last time they played, Rutgers defeated Iowa, 70-53, in 2006.
Along with the first round match-up comes the storyline of Rutgers’ head coach C. Vivian Stringer. She coached the Iowa women’s team for 12 years, compiling a 269-84 record from 1983 until 1995. Stringer led the Hawkeyes to its only Final Four appearance in 1993 and only No. 1 ranking in school history. She also recruited and coach All-American, Michelle Edwards, the only female basketball player to have her number retired by the program.
“She put Iowa on the map, there’s no doubt about that,” Bluder said of Stringer. “Iowa wasn’t really thought of as a women’s basketball contending program until [she] got here. … Obviously, going against one of the very best in our business.
“We’re proud of Vivian and all of the success she brought to our program. And we’re proud she’s a Hawkeye and we hope she kind of remembers that come Saturday.”
