2023–24 Iowa Hawkeyes Women's Basketball Team

The 2023–24 Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball team represented the University of Iowa during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Hawkeyes were led by head coach Lisa Bluder in her twenty-fourth season, and played their home games at Carver–Hawkeye Arena as a member of the Big Ten Conference.

After finishing second in the conference regular season standings, the Hawkeyes won the Big Ten tournament for the third consecutive season and received an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The Hawkeyes were named a No. 1 seed (Iowa's first since 1992) in the Albany 2 regional and were ranked as the tournament's 2nd overall seed. During the NCAA tournament they defeated Holy Cross, West Virginia, Colorado, LSU, and UConn to return to the title game for the second consecutive season. However, the Hawkeyes were defeated by top-ranked and undefeated South Carolina, 87–75, in the national championship game. Iowa finished the season with a record of 34–5 to set a program record and tie the Big Ten record for wins in a season.

Senior Caitlin Clark, who entered the season as the reigning National Player of the Year and a pre-season All-American, exceeded impossibly high expectations to leave an indelible mark on the University of Iowa and women's college basketball. Clark capped her career by being named both Big Ten Player of the Year and a unanimous First-team All-American for the third time, swept National Player of the Year awards for the second time, and finished with numerous NCAA records highlighted by the NCAA career scoring record. Despite Clark's on-court accomplishments, she remained consistent that her legacy is more closely tied to broader impact growing interest in the sport and inspiring the next generation. The final three games of Clark's career became the three most watched women's college basketball games of all-time. On April 10, at a celebration event at Carver–Hawkeye Arena, Iowa announced that Clark's jersey number 22 would be the third number to be retired in program history.

The senior class, led by Clark, Kate Martin, and Gabbie Marshall, concluded their college careers having secured four NCAA tournament appearances, including three Sweet Sixteens and two Final Fours.

Previous season

The Hawkeyes finished the 2022–23 season with a 31–7 record, including 15–3 in Big Ten play. They won the 2023 Big Ten women's basketball tournament and earned the conference's automatic bid to the 2023 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. They advanced to the championship game for the first time in program history, but they lost to LSU 85–102.

Off-season

Departures

Recruits

Roster

Schedule and results

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Rankings

2024 WNBA Draft

2024 Medical Disqualification

Freshman Ava Jones was not cleared to play during the 2023–24 season. A few days after she committed to Iowa in 2022, she was in a car crash that killed her father Trey Jones while they were walking across the street. Ava and her mother Amy Jones were badly injured. Ava Jones took a medical disqualification and retired from the game of basketball on June 7, 2024.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2023-24 Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball team
Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball seasons
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NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament Final Four seasons