NCAAW: Iowa Hawkeyes face an uphill battle in Big Ten play

The Iowa Hawkeyes got the monkey off their back on Wednesday with an 85-61 road win over Washington. The victory ended their five-game losing streak, which dated back to their Jan. 5 loss to Maryland.

It was as if the Hawkeyes of old came back to life.

They shot 71 percent from the field, 69 percent from the 3-point line and 71 percent from the foul line. Although they turned the ball over 23 times, they not only compensated with their a strong shooting showing, but also by outrebounding Washington 36-21.

Lucy Olsen had one of her best performances of the season as she was perfect from the field, finishing with 20 points, four 3-pointers and six assists. Addison O’Grady came away with 17 points and four rebounds. Kylie Feurbach, who has struggled as of late, came out with 12 points of her own. Taylor McCabe finished strong with 11 points, including three 3-pointers. Hannah Stuekle was out due to a concussion she sustained against Nebraska on Jan. 16.

It was a major sigh of relief for the Hawkeyes. But while they exhale, they must also regroup for the treacherous conference schedule that awaits them

They should fair well against Northwestern on Tuesday Jan. 28 at home, but their Feb. 2 contest against No. 4 USC will be the first game in a stretch that will test of their resolve. The Hawkeyes will play the Trojans for the first time as Big Ten rivals on the same day Caitlin Clark will have her No. 22 retired. It will be interesting to see how these Hawkeyes will contend with the phenomenon of JuJu Watkins and the exploits of Kiki Iriafen. Most are expecting the Trojans to come away victorious.

Iowa then will hit the road to take on No. 23 Minnesota on Feb. 6. The Gophers are 11-1 at home and have five players—Maura Braun, Grace Grocholski, Amaya Battle, Annika Stewart, Tori McKinney—averaging at least 10 points per game. On Feb. 10, the Hawkeyes will play Nebraska on the road. The Huskers won in their first meeting on Jan. 16 in overtime, as they came back from a double-digit deficit due, in large part, to the Hawkeyes’ troubles at the free throw line. This should be a game where Iowa learns a lesson—and gets even.

From there, Iowa should score a solid win over Rutgers on the road on Feb. 13, a team they have historically dominated. They’ll then travel to Columbus four days later to take on No. 12 Ohio State in a Feb. 17 late-morning matchup. The Buckeyes stand at 12-1 and will likely move up in the rankings following a 74-66 win over No. 8 Maryland on Thursday. After that, the Hawkeyes will play No. 1 UCLA for the first time on Feb. 23, with the home matchup most likely to end in defeat.

Iowa’s final road game will come against No. 24 Michigan on Feb. 26. The Wolverines are climbing back into top 25 following a series of crucial Big Ten wins against Purdue, Washington and Rutgers. It will also be a clash of freshmen cores between the Hawkeyes, with Aaliyah Guyton, Taylor Stremlow, Ava Heiden and Teagan Mallegni, and the Wolverines, with three freshmen starters in Mila Holloway, Olivia Olson and Syla Swords. Finally, the Hawkeyes will conclude their season with an easy opponent in Wisconsin on Mar. 2.

In all, the Hawkeyes are slated to get several easy wins, find themselves in a few toss-ups and suffer a couple of likely losses. Here’s a rough prediction:

Wins: Northwestern, Rutgers, Wisconsin

Toss-ups: Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State, Michigan

Losses: USC, UCLA

Nevertheless, it won’t be a smooth journey for a team still searching for its new identity. To finish the season strong, they’ll need to rely on each other’s experience levels, play with consistency and excel at the little things, such as making free throws.