IOWA CITY, Iowa — Iowa has a lot of the same pieces back from last year's Final Four team, but they did lose two starters to graduation: Monika Czinano and McKenna Warnock.
While most expected Iowa to pick up a transfer or two in the portal, they stuck with mainly the same roster.
"I think you have to be really special to come into our program. We don't invite just everybody into our circle," said head coach Lisa Bluder. "Our circle can't be bought. It can't be a thing where you can, you know, offer so much money to be a part of our circle. Our circle is really really special and we're guarding that."
The Hawkeyes have filled those roles through an increase in production by a lot of players, but especially Hannah Stuelke and Sydney Affolter. The leadership from Bluder has helped propel the Hawkeyes as well.
"The biggest thing that coach Bluder preached, you know, when the season started is like, 'we don't need to be what we were last year, that's not going to help us be successful. This is a whole new team. This is a whole different dynamic, like, let's make this our own.' And that's exactly what we did. I think that's what's allowed us to get back to this point," Caitlin Clark said.
Whether it's on the court or off, Iowa players have nothing but love for their head coach.
"Everyone knows that they're truly cared about whether you play five minutes, whether you play the whole game," said junior guard Sydney Affolter. "Everyone's just as important as everyone else in the circle and she cares about you more than just a basketball player, which is the biggest thing."
Gabbie Marshall has experienced that from Bluder for the last five seasons.
"She really has cared about me more as who I am and who I am as a person than anything on the basketball court," Marshall said. "But, you know, when it comes to basketball, they're always gonna have us prepared and she's gonna put her heart and soul and everything that she does on and off the court."
Iowa and UCONN play on Friday night on ESPN for a spot in the National Championship.