OPENING STATEMENT
Our spring and summer have been very different. Kind of unusual, but I'm really happy with our team's commitment and their attention to detail of focusing and not worrying about the unknown, but instead preparing like the Big Ten Tournament is tomorrow.
I couldn't ask for a better group, how they've prepared in coming to practice every day with masks and having to practice, and just being very aware when they're away from the arena how they have to be so careful to protect themselves and to protect our team. I've just been extremely proud of the young women and what they've done.
You look at this year, obviously the last couple years we've lost a lot in graduation, and when you think of the last three years, a Big Ten Player of the Year has been wearing an Iowa women's basketball jersey, so that's a lot of loss over the last couple years.
But we're kind of focusing instead on what we return, and obviously I want to start that conversation with Monika Czinano. Monika was a first team all-Big Ten selection as a sophomore. It's really remarkable. She was the second best field goal shooter in America last year. If she would have made two more field goals, she would have led the country in field goal percentage, two more field goals over the course of 30 games. Her improvement from freshman to sophomore year I think was nothing but remarkable, and her commitment. I'm so excited to have Monika for a few more years, and I think she's just continued her growth over the past year.
Lexi Sevillian returns as a fifth-year senior for us. She is also a captain along with Kate Martin and Zion Sanders. All three of those women have done a really terrific job of their leadership during this uncertain time.
McKenna Warnock returns. McKenna was on the all freshmen team, just a terrific power forward for us, she rebounds well. In addition she can really be physical inside but also bring people out for three-point shooting, and so she really can stretch the defense, as well.
Gabbie Marshall has also really improved, and really I feel like all of our returners made some significant progress over the summer.
We also as you know have the 17th ranked recruiting class coming in here. Caitlin Clark leads that, Caitlin being a five-star recruit. She was the fourth best player in America last year, the second best point guard in America, from Dowling Catholic. She was a McDonald's All-American, the Iowa Player of the Year, the Gatorade Player of the Year. She's won two gold medals in USA Basketball and she holds state records for most points in a game with 60 and most three-pointers in a game with 13. Some pretty remarkable statistics, and Caitlin is coming here expecting to contribute right away, and she will be contributing right away. We're excited to have that next point guard. We've had so many great point guards come through our system, and excited about this one.
Lauren Jensen also is joining that recruiting class. Lauren is from Lakeville (North) High School. She shot 45 percent from three-point range in high school, 25-point-per-game average, and she was a finalist for Miss Minnesota Basketball, and for those of you that don't know, the No. 1 player in America was from the state of Minnesota. Not bad to be a finalist to the No. 1 player in America.
Sharon Goodman is an Iowan that comes from Crestwood High School. She is the all-time (leading scorer) -- she was the Player of the Year for 3A in her junior season, all-state selection, as well.
Shateah Wetering is from Montezuma, Iowa, our closest recruit, the all-time leading scorer at Montezuma, and she's also won two national AAU basketball tournaments.
Our schedule I can't really talk about. We still don't have one. It's kind of an unusual situation. That's kind of what we talk about with our players. Never have we gone into a season not knowing who we're going to play or when we're going to play until this year. It is what it is. We just have to be ready for everybody.
We're trying to schedule our three in-state schools along with two other non-conference. We'll only have five non-conference this year, and we've moved our Big Ten schedule from 18 to 20 along with playing the Big Ten Tournament a week later than it has been.
It's still a work in progress, but I do know the Big Ten is going to be -- I probably say this every year, but I really believe it, as strong as it's ever been. We just did not graduate a lot from the conference. There was some within-conference transfers, but obviously those players are experienced and have all been given immediate eligibility.
Our spring and summer have been very different. Kind of unusual, but I'm really happy with our team's commitment and their attention to detail of focusing and not worrying about the unknown, but instead preparing like the Big Ten Tournament is tomorrow.
I couldn't ask for a better group, how they've prepared in coming to practice every day with masks and having to practice, and just being very aware when they're away from the arena how they have to be so careful to protect themselves and to protect our team. I've just been extremely proud of the young women and what they've done.
You look at this year, obviously the last couple years we've lost a lot in graduation, and when you think of the last three years, a Big Ten Player of the Year has been wearing an Iowa women's basketball jersey, so that's a lot of loss over the last couple years.
But we're kind of focusing instead on what we return, and obviously I want to start that conversation with Monika Czinano. Monika was a first team all-Big Ten selection as a sophomore. It's really remarkable. She was the second best field goal shooter in America last year. If she would have made two more field goals, she would have led the country in field goal percentage, two more field goals over the course of 30 games. Her improvement from freshman to sophomore year I think was nothing but remarkable, and her commitment. I'm so excited to have Monika for a few more years, and I think she's just continued her growth over the past year.
Lexi Sevillian returns as a fifth-year senior for us. She is also a captain along with Kate Martin and Zion Sanders. All three of those women have done a really terrific job of their leadership during this uncertain time.
McKenna Warnock returns. McKenna was on the all freshmen team, just a terrific power forward for us, she rebounds well. In addition she can really be physical inside but also bring people out for three-point shooting, and so she really can stretch the defense, as well.
Gabbie Marshall has also really improved, and really I feel like all of our returners made some significant progress over the summer.
We also as you know have the 17th ranked recruiting class coming in here. Caitlin Clark leads that, Caitlin being a five-star recruit. She was the fourth best player in America last year, the second best point guard in America, from Dowling Catholic. She was a McDonald's All-American, the Iowa Player of the Year, the Gatorade Player of the Year. She's won two gold medals in USA Basketball and she holds state records for most points in a game with 60 and most three-pointers in a game with 13. Some pretty remarkable statistics, and Caitlin is coming here expecting to contribute right away, and she will be contributing right away. We're excited to have that next point guard. We've had so many great point guards come through our system, and excited about this one.
Lauren Jensen also is joining that recruiting class. Lauren is from Lakeville (North) High School. She shot 45 percent from three-point range in high school, 25-point-per-game average, and she was a finalist for Miss Minnesota Basketball, and for those of you that don't know, the No. 1 player in America was from the state of Minnesota. Not bad to be a finalist to the No. 1 player in America.
Sharon Goodman is an Iowan that comes from Crestwood High School. She is the all-time (leading scorer) -- she was the Player of the Year for 3A in her junior season, all-state selection, as well.
Shateah Wetering is from Montezuma, Iowa, our closest recruit, the all-time leading scorer at Montezuma, and she's also won two national AAU basketball tournaments.
Our schedule I can't really talk about. We still don't have one. It's kind of an unusual situation. That's kind of what we talk about with our players. Never have we gone into a season not knowing who we're going to play or when we're going to play until this year. It is what it is. We just have to be ready for everybody.
We're trying to schedule our three in-state schools along with two other non-conference. We'll only have five non-conference this year, and we've moved our Big Ten schedule from 18 to 20 along with playing the Big Ten Tournament a week later than it has been.
It's still a work in progress, but I do know the Big Ten is going to be -- I probably say this every year, but I really believe it, as strong as it's ever been. We just did not graduate a lot from the conference. There was some within-conference transfers, but obviously those players are experienced and have all been given immediate eligibility.
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