LISA BLUDER OPENING STATEMENT: Ticket sales are going very well, and they should be with this team that's coming back. One thing that's needed, we all know, for a special season is to have an injury-free season, and I'm sad to report that we do have two preseason injuries to Shateah Wetering and to Sharon Goodman. Both of those players would have fit into our playing rotations this year, and obviously those injuries hurt our depth. But there's still so many reasons to be excited about this basketball team.
We're optimistic. I think sometimes we should actually sell tickets to our practices because they have been highly entertaining at times. Our scrimmages have been incredible, and it's been a lot of fun.
When you have one of the most exciting players in the nation on your basketball team, we should all be excited. You've seen the nation's respect this past week: Preseason Player of the Year in the Big Ten, AP All-American, which is top five players in America, returning as the leading scorer in America, leading the country in assists. I think sometimes people forget about that, is that not only did Caitlin lead the country in points but led the country in assists. That's an incredible statistic, and quite honestly, I don't know that it's ever been done before. I think that's probably something we should check out.
Caitlin is definitely worth the price of admission. But we also have Monika Czinano. Monika Czinano led the United States in field goal percentage shooting last year. Monika was named to the Preseason All-Big Ten team, as well, one of the top 10 players in the Big Ten, as the coaches and media think.
In fact, if there's one statistic that's often overlooked, Caitlin led the country in field goals made, but Monika Czinano was No. 2 in the United States in field goals made. To have the top two in the country wearing Iowa Hawkeye uniforms, they form quite a duo.
But we also have McKenna Warnock back. McKenna had an outstanding year last year, led us in rebounding, a tremendous outside shooter.
We have Gabbie Marshall returning. Gabbie shot 47 percent from three-point range. Again, our best and one of the best in the country.
Kate Martin returns, and Kate may be the most improved starter that returns to our basketball team. Kate is the glue. Kate is one of the best leaders that I've ever been around, and that's over quite a few years, so I'm very happy with Kate. She's been a very versatile player for us and playing a number of positions, as well, because we really need to have Kate on the floor for us.
Returners Tomi Taiwo and Logan Cook also have made significant jumps this summer, and will bring plenty of experience as seniors to our team.
Then we have some newcomers. We obviously benefitted in the transfer portal from Kylie Feuerbach, who transferred from Iowa State, she brings some Division I playing experience for us, adds depth at the guard position for us.
And then we have some freshmen. Sydney Affolter is athletic, she's aggressive, can also play a number of positions for us. Addie O'Grady at 6'4" is the tallest woman on our roster but played the power forward and the center. It's nice to have a player that size that can come out and knock down threes, and she's capable of doing that. Then AJ Ediger from Michigan is a strong power forward for us.
Our offense, one of the best in the country. Last year we were ranked No. 1 in field goal percentage, No. 1 in the country in three-point field goal percentage, No. 2 in the country in score, No. 3 in the country in free-throw percentage, No. 4 in the country in assists. Those are amazing numbers.
We have a pretty good recipe for offensive success, but as you know, our defense needs to improve, and that's been a point of emphasis since we started our workouts in the summer. Rebounding and defense need to improve.
Our schedule, once again, has a great mixture. Playing our three in-state schools, we'll be hosting Drake but we'll be playing at UNI and at No. 12 Iowa State. We'll also be playing at Duke in the Big Ten-ACC challenge. We'll be playing USC and Seton Hall on neutral courts on our Thanksgiving trip. So a tremendous schedule. We'll also be hosting Central Florida which is a new team on our schedule and brings back their coach who's from Cedar Rapids Washington, Katie Abrahamson, and also a former Hawkeye, and she has had a great deal of success at Central Florida, so that's going to also be a highlight game for us.
Again, a lot to look forward to, and I'll open it up to questions.
We're optimistic. I think sometimes we should actually sell tickets to our practices because they have been highly entertaining at times. Our scrimmages have been incredible, and it's been a lot of fun.
When you have one of the most exciting players in the nation on your basketball team, we should all be excited. You've seen the nation's respect this past week: Preseason Player of the Year in the Big Ten, AP All-American, which is top five players in America, returning as the leading scorer in America, leading the country in assists. I think sometimes people forget about that, is that not only did Caitlin lead the country in points but led the country in assists. That's an incredible statistic, and quite honestly, I don't know that it's ever been done before. I think that's probably something we should check out.
Caitlin is definitely worth the price of admission. But we also have Monika Czinano. Monika Czinano led the United States in field goal percentage shooting last year. Monika was named to the Preseason All-Big Ten team, as well, one of the top 10 players in the Big Ten, as the coaches and media think.
In fact, if there's one statistic that's often overlooked, Caitlin led the country in field goals made, but Monika Czinano was No. 2 in the United States in field goals made. To have the top two in the country wearing Iowa Hawkeye uniforms, they form quite a duo.
But we also have McKenna Warnock back. McKenna had an outstanding year last year, led us in rebounding, a tremendous outside shooter.
We have Gabbie Marshall returning. Gabbie shot 47 percent from three-point range. Again, our best and one of the best in the country.
Kate Martin returns, and Kate may be the most improved starter that returns to our basketball team. Kate is the glue. Kate is one of the best leaders that I've ever been around, and that's over quite a few years, so I'm very happy with Kate. She's been a very versatile player for us and playing a number of positions, as well, because we really need to have Kate on the floor for us.
Returners Tomi Taiwo and Logan Cook also have made significant jumps this summer, and will bring plenty of experience as seniors to our team.
Then we have some newcomers. We obviously benefitted in the transfer portal from Kylie Feuerbach, who transferred from Iowa State, she brings some Division I playing experience for us, adds depth at the guard position for us.
And then we have some freshmen. Sydney Affolter is athletic, she's aggressive, can also play a number of positions for us. Addie O'Grady at 6'4" is the tallest woman on our roster but played the power forward and the center. It's nice to have a player that size that can come out and knock down threes, and she's capable of doing that. Then AJ Ediger from Michigan is a strong power forward for us.
Our offense, one of the best in the country. Last year we were ranked No. 1 in field goal percentage, No. 1 in the country in three-point field goal percentage, No. 2 in the country in score, No. 3 in the country in free-throw percentage, No. 4 in the country in assists. Those are amazing numbers.
We have a pretty good recipe for offensive success, but as you know, our defense needs to improve, and that's been a point of emphasis since we started our workouts in the summer. Rebounding and defense need to improve.
Our schedule, once again, has a great mixture. Playing our three in-state schools, we'll be hosting Drake but we'll be playing at UNI and at No. 12 Iowa State. We'll also be playing at Duke in the Big Ten-ACC challenge. We'll be playing USC and Seton Hall on neutral courts on our Thanksgiving trip. So a tremendous schedule. We'll also be hosting Central Florida which is a new team on our schedule and brings back their coach who's from Cedar Rapids Washington, Katie Abrahamson, and also a former Hawkeye, and she has had a great deal of success at Central Florida, so that's going to also be a highlight game for us.
Again, a lot to look forward to, and I'll open it up to questions.
