Iowa
Iowa women's basketball coach Lisa Bluder announces her retirement
Iowa women’s basketball head coach Lisa Bluder announced her retirement on Monday as former Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark nears her pro debut with the WNBA’s Indiana Fever.
Bluder’s longtime assistant Jan Jensen was named her successor.
“There is no denying that this past season was incredible for so many reasons, and we could not have accomplished our achievements without all of you,” Bluder said in an open letter to fans. “After the season ended, I spent time with our student-athletes and coaches reviewing the season and preparing those moving on for what comes next.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder, left, stands with associate head coach Jan Jensen, right, before an NCAA college basketball game against Nebraska, Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, in Iowa City, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)
“With that also came personal contemplation about what this journey has meant to me, how to best champion this program, and what the future looks like for my family and me. After then taking some time away with my husband, David, it became clear to me that I am ready to step aside.”
Bluder’s retirement came more than a month after Iowa dropped its second consecutive national championship — this time it was to South Carolina.
She spent 24 years leading the Hawkeyes after spending 10 years at Drake. Bluder was 716-359 in her career.
Clark, arguably the best player in Bluder’s tenure, congratulated her former coach.
CAITLIN CLARK RECALLS ‘FRUSTRATING’ MEDIA STORM OVER 2023 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP LOSS
Iowa women’s NCAA college basketball head coach Lisa Bluder arrives on the Red Carpet before the world premiere and screening of Episode 1 of the upcoming ESPN+ Original Series Full Court Press, Monday, May 6, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
“Simply no one better at building a team,” Clark wrote on X. “Thank you for believing in me more than anyone. Enjoy retirement, coach. Very much deserved.”
Jensen will take the reins starting in the 2024-25 season. She was an associate head coach under Bluder for 20 years. She was also with Bluder when they were at Drake.
She was an All-American at Drake and the highest-scoring player ever in six-on-six basketball at El Horn-Kimballton High School in Iowa.
“There is no better person to lead this program than Jan Jensen and I am thrilled she will have the opportunity to build on the foundation established,” Bluder said. “I’m committed to help her, and her staff, in whatever capacity they need moving forward.”
Head coach Lisa Bluder of the Iowa Hawkeyes high fives Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes during the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament National Championship at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on April 7, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Bluder helped Iowa to five Big Ten Tournament championships. She was the Big Ten Coach of the Year three times and the 2019 Naismith College Coach of the Year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Iowa
McKenna Woliczko ‘just as excited’ to join Iowa women’s basketball as before
As Iowa women’s basketball signee McKenna Woliczko prepares to transition her game from the high school level to the collegiate ranks, she expressed her excitement for her freshman season in the fall during a recent interview with The Des Moines Register’s Chad Leistikow.
Although nearly every program in the nation has been affected in some way by the NCAA transfer portal, some fans had a natural concern that the Hawkeyes’ five departures could affect Woliczko’s trust in the direction of the program.
Fortunately for Iowa, the 6-foot-2 native of San Bruno, Calif., immediately put those worries to rest by reaffirming her eagerness to begin her Iowa career and to meet whoever the program brings in to fill its vacant roster spots.
“All the girls are great. I’m just as excited to come in as I was before,” Woliczko said. “People are going to leave, but we’re going to get some people. I’m really excited to see who we get.”
As Woliczko was authoring a record performance in the 2026 Nike Hoop Summit game, the Hawkeyes were in the midst of pouncing in the transfer portal. Woliczko registered a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds as Iowa landed All-SEC first-teamer Dani Carnegie out of the transfer portal to bolster its backcourt.
In a coincidental roommate switch as a result of Addie Deal and Teagan Mallegni entering the transfer portal, Woliczko will spend her first year in Iowa City with junior Ava Heiden and sophomore Layla Hays in an apartment near Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
While Woliczko mentioned that she has some nerves entering her freshman year at Iowa, she also stated that she’s thankful for the program’s all-encompassing support and is excited about the experience.
“I’m obviously really nervous. Just taking that next step, not only just living by myself but also the basketball aspect, the social aspect, all of it,” Woliczko said. “I’m just really excited to feel that new support, and having that new (basketball) family will be so awesome. … I’m so excited to experience that.”
Woliczko arrives as head coach Jan Jensen’s highest-ranked signee in her two years in charge and the program’s highest-ranked signee since Caitlin Clark in 2020.
In her 21 games played during her senior campaign, Woliczko averaged 20.2 points and 11 rebounds while shooting 69% from the floor, 81% from the free-throw line, and 40% from 3-point range. For her career, she posted averages of 21.3 points and 9.4 rebounds per game on 63% shooting.
https://x.com/StavrosForever/status/2038736820976939Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews
Iowa
Iowa makes a splash with an All-SEC guard out of the transfer portal
IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – Iowa women’s basketball was facing just six returning players for the upcoming season, but on Saturday they landed a big transfer.
Georgia’s Dani Carnegie is heading to Iowa City, she announced on social media. Carnegie was a First Team All-SEC guard with the Georgia Bulldogs.
She averaged 17.8 points per game at UGA. She was also a teammate with Chit-Chat Wright at Georgia Tech in their freshman seasons.
She’ll have two years of eligibility remaining with Iowa.
Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.
Iowa
Killyan Toure Makes Decision on Iowa State Basketball Future
The Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball team is going to look a lot different during the 2026-27 season than it did at the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
Gone are the five seniors who were on the roster: Tamin Lipsey, Joshua Jefferson, Nate Heise, Dominick Nelson and Eric Mulder. Cade Kelderman, a junior guard, entered his name into the transfer portal along with Mason Williams.
Milan Momcilovic currently has his name in the 2026 NBA Draft, putting his future up in the air for a few more weeks. However, head coach T.J. Otzelberger can rest a little easier knowing some of his core rotation is coming back. Included in that group now is Killyan Toure.
As shared by François Nyam via Jonathan Givony of Draft Express on X, the talented guard will be returning to Ames for his sophomore season.
Will Killyan Toure return to Iowa State for sophomore season?
Toure was a surprise member of the starting five for the duration of his freshman season with the Cyclones. Many people predicted that spot would go to Jamarion Batemon, the highest-rated recruit the program landed in the Class of 2025, but it was Toure who earned the trust of the coaching staff.
It was easy to see why this was the case early on. He was a ready-made high-level defender right out of the gate. His tenacious effort on that end of the court enabled Iowa State to deploy Lipsey in a more rovering role at times, playing the passing lanes and creating turnovers.
The senior was very impressed with what Toure brought to the court, giving him a ton of praise for his efforts on the defensive end.
A high-floor player because of his ability on defense, the Frenchman could truly breakout as a sophomore if he can find a rhythm offensively. His confidence seemed to wane during the season, as he hit the proverbial freshman wall.
NEWS: Killyan Touré will return to Iowa State for his sophomore season, François Nyam tells DraftExpress.
The 6’3, 19-year-old French guard started 37 games for the Cyclones, playing an important role in their 29-8 record and Sweet 16 appearance with his stifling defense. pic.twitter.com/XdS1L9XL9z
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 11, 2026
Toure shot only 38.7% from the field overall during Big 12 play and 23.8% from 3-point range, leading to his minutes being scaled back slightly as Otzelberger sought more offense for the lineup.
However, that confidence on offense did start to come back during the Big 12 tournament and in the NCAA tournament.
Over the final four games of his freshman campaign, Toure averaged 14 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals in 30.5 minutes per game. He shot an impressive 55% from the field and 50% from 3-point range, knocking down 5-of-10 attempts.
Securing his return is a big win for Iowa State basketball. He has an incredibly high ceiling and is built to take the torch from Lipsey as the tone setter on the court.
-
Atlanta, GA1 week ago1 teenage girl killed, another injured in shooting at Piedmont Park, police say
-
Georgia5 days agoGeorgia House Special Runoff Election 2026 Live Results
-
Pennsylvania6 days agoParents charged after toddler injured by wolf at Pennsylvania zoo
-
Arkansas2 days agoArkansas TV meteorologist Melinda Mayo retires after nearly four decades on air
-
Milwaukee, WI6 days agoPotawatomi Casino Hotel evacuated after fire breaks out in rooftop HVAC system
-
Indianapolis, IN1 week agoFighting Illini begin Final Four preparations in Indianapolis
-
Technology1 week agoAnthropic essentially bans OpenClaw from Claude by making subscribers pay extra
-
Austin, TX4 days agoABC Kite Fest Returns to Austin for Annual Celebration – Austin Today