Does Hannah have a shot at the W?

[Tenacious E]

Missed the last game but her highlights seem to show her developing more of a 3/4 tweener game. I would love to see her reunite with Caitlin because she is that wide receiver running a fly route who can do big time damage catching and converting on fast breaks. But maybe I have my black and gold glasses on. Thoughts?

 

[bunsen82]

She needs to continue to develop more touch and depth on her shot but yes she works very well with Caitlin. I could see the Fever using a later pick on her. Her speed will play in the W.

 

[Moral]

With the league expanding a bit I think she will find a home. I think her athleticism is better than a lot of the people I have seen in the W.

 

[pablow]

She needs to work on her hacking, grabbing, and flopping. Not up to W standards.

 

[Moral]

She needs to work on her hacking, grabbing, and flopping. Not up to W standards.

Can't be coached. You either have it or you don't.

 

[nck24]

Missed the last game but her highlights seem to show her developing more of a 3/4 tweener game. I would love to see her reunite with Caitlin because she is that wide receiver running a fly route who can do big time damage catching and converting on fast breaks. But maybe I have my black and gold glasses on. Thoughts?

Kristy Wallace and Grace Berger found a home in the WNBA. I think Hanna is at least that good.

 

[Mister_Man]

I saw a really nice pass from Hannah to the freshman center.

 

[Bulldogs1974]

Yep. You see those women shoot.

 

[GunnerHawk]

Hannah is much more than a rim runner. She has improved her game every year, with a much better outside shot, confidence at the free throw line and ability to pass. With another year, I feel she will be an all-american.

 

[BrotherHawkeye]

Put her on the Fever and she’ll thrive. No one yet has run the court better for Caitlin than Hannah.

 

[Tenacious E]

Hannah is much more than a rim runner. She has improved her game every year, with a much better outside shot, confidence at the free throw line and ability to pass. With another year, I feel she will be an all-american.

Well, that is not what I was implying, if that is what you inferred. She has other talents but she was awesome running the rim with Caitlin as QB1. I would like to see it again.

 

[undersized_post]

Naz Hillmon (Michigan alum, now a role player the Atlanta Dream) is a decent player comp in my opinion.

 

[creslin_hawk]

Naz Hillmon (Michigan alum, now a role player the Atlanta Dream) is a decent player comp in my opinion.

Naz is still playing post, I think Meg is a better comp. She was a post player that transitioned to be a 3/4. Hannah has a year and a half to develop her 3/4 game before she gets there. I think she can get there. She has been working on the 3 for a while now, she needs better handles and a mid range as well. I think the BYU game showed glimses of what shes working on, but its still early days.

 

[littlez]

It’s going to be tough but with the additional teams being added I’m hopeful. For the good of the team she played Center but now she’s got 2 years to try and become a 3/4 in the league. Hopefully she stays injury free and keeps improving.

 

[undersized_post]

Naz is still playing post, I think Meg is a better comp. She was a post player that transitioned to be a 3/4. Hannah has a year and a half to develop her 3/4 game before she gets there. I think she can get there. She has been working on the 3 for a while now, she needs better handles and a mid range as well. I think the BYU game showed glimses of what shes working on, but its still early days.

Sorry but I would say this is pretty factually incorrect.

Megan has played like two minutes at the 3 in her entire WNBA career, and that was for the last place Phoenix Mercury on an injury depleted roster in garbage time when they were just clearing the bench and had no other options. She has still primarily played the 5, and sometimes the 4 in certain lineups. For international ball she also only played the 4/5. Just because she now spots up and shoots 3s doesn't make her a 3/4.

Naz is a much better comp in terms of height, build, and athleticism, and in the ways they score. At a generous 6'2'' (like Hannah), college Naz primarily played the 5 (just like Hannah did last year and still does this year in some lineups). Like Hannah, her athleticism helped her defend larger players. Like Hannah, her explosiveness on offense made her difficult to contain for more traditionally bodied post players. College Naz and Hannah are both shaky FT shooters while Megan was squarely 79-80% her Soph-Senior years.

Naz was tried at the 3 some for Atlanta early on but has primarily played the 4. Hannah's role in our offense this season is very similar to Naz's for Atlanta.

 

[hoffmkr]

Let’s be 100% honest: Indiana would trade Hannah for Smith today if they could. Hannah has flaws, but gives 100x the effort and much better dribbling.

 

[cmhawks99]

Naz is still playing post, I think Meg is a better comp. She was a post player that transitioned to be a 3/4. Hannah has a year and a half to develop her 3/4 game before she gets there. I think she can get there. She has been working on the 3 for a while now, she needs better handles and a mid range as well. I think the BYU game showed glimses of what shes working on, but its still early days.

I know Meg Gustafson is a favorite on here ( great Hawk, great college center) but in no way do the 2 compare. HS can run backwards faster than Meg can forward, dribble better, jump better, play defense better (# 1 reasons Meg’s minutes are limited ) and has major upside.

As for Meg she’s a terrific 3pt shooter now, likely better than HS will ever be, but HS would get picked ahead of her 101 times out of 100.

 

[DewHawk]

Let’s be 100% honest: Indiana would trade Hannah for Smith today if they could. Hannah has flaws, but gives 100x the effort and much better dribbling.

If Hannah continues to work on her skills the only other thing is becoming tougher/tenacity IMO.

 

[cyberhawk]

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

Frankly, I'd like to see Hannah be a little more tenacious ... like Ohio State's Cotie McMahon. She impressed the crap out of me last season with her game against us (at Columbus). Part of that is that she's super active ... and also plays bigger than her size. I'd like to see Hannah be a little more assertive like that. Of course, don't get me wrong, I'd love to see Hannah truly add the 3-ball to her game ... in terms of game-planning for her ... if she can be a threat that way too, that could make her a bigger danger.

I think that Hannah has immense potential ... her game last year against Penn State being a little demonstrative of that potential.

Anyhow, it already appears that she's playing more consistently than she did last year ... and by many accounts, she's still knocking off rust after recovering from her off-season knee surgery.

I'll be excited to see the continued growth from her through the season.

 

[twindman]

I kind of think free throw shooting is a predictor of 3 pt shooting. (JMO) And Hannah has never been good at the line.

 

[cmhawks99]

I kind of think free throw shooting is a predictor of 3 pt shooting. (JMO) And Hannah has never been good at the line.

74% this year, but I’ve also seen some great shooters struggle at the line

 

[pablow]

Hannah's improved quite a bit from the line - 2022-23: 46.0%, 2023-24: 62.9%, 2024-25: 73.5%.

 

[HawksGoneWild1]

I kind of think free throw shooting is a predictor of 3 pt shooting. (JMO) And Hannah has never been good at the line.

She's come a long way...


So far this year in FT%:
Iowa: 73%
Opp: 77%
Hannah: 72.3%

2024-25 Iowa Hawkeyes Women's Roster and Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Check out the detailed 2024-25 Iowa Hawkeyes Roster and Stats for College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

www.sports-reference.com

 

[Hawk_4shur]

She has improved so much in the last 2 years. If that trajectory continues she'll play in the W.

 

[kceasthawk]

Let’s be 100% honest: Indiana would trade Hannah for Smith today if they could. Hannah has flaws, but gives 100x the effort and much better dribbling.

I was okay with most of this until the dribbling part. HS still struggles dribbling especially under any defensive pressure, and she'll face better defenders over all in the league then she has this non con season.. She isn't a MUCH better dribbler...

 

[citizenHawk]

She's better than last year. Just watched the WV game from last March. Definite changes and improvement all around her game. She wouldn't even put it on the floor in that game.

 

[hoffmkr]

I was okay with most of this until the dribbling part. HS still struggles dribbling especially under any defensive pressure, and she'll face better defenders over all in the league then she has this non con season.. She isn't a MUCH better dribbler...

Go back and watch Smith again. Smith uses the same ball handling coach as Angel.

 

[DanHawkPella]

I think she can definitely stick in the WNBA simply due to her athleticism / size combination. She's a PF in the W for sure, and PF's need to be able to shoot a face up jumper at least from 15-18 feet. Maybe even the corner 3 if she can extend out that far. Her ability to have a face up shooting game is critical because it sets up her dribble drive. Without it, teams will be able to put good sized forwards on her who can just sag off and it will turn her into a shorter version of Fagbenle.