For a team posting numbers unseen even with Caitlin Clark in uniform, Iowa’s exclusion from the AP Top Four is jarring. The Hawkeyes had been steamrolling conference opponents before a stunning loss to USC interrupted their momentum, but that lone blemish hasn’t erased a nine-win run against elite programs. Still, according to analyst Erica Ayala, the skepticism around Iowa’s national standing may be warranted.
While talking to fellow analyst Alicia Jay on the ‘We need to talk’ podcast “When we’re looking at this no 1 spot, we have got UConn, UCLA, South Carolina, and Texas. As much as I love what Iowa has been able to do, I do not see them toppling any of these four No. 1s in our CBS sports bracketology at this time,” said Ayala, giving her candid verdict on the matter.
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The Hawkeyes might be in the middle of a golden spell even after Caitlin Clark’s departure, but Erica Ayala still doesn’t think it will be enough.
Catching the current top line will be difficult, especially after their latest loss to USC snapped their unbeaten conference run. UConn, UCLA, South Carolina and Texas are all entrenched in the top four of the AP poll and sit well ahead of Iowa in total points.
Even the lowest of that group, Texas, is more than 100 poll points clear of the Hawkeyes, so there’s no real vacancy at the top right now.
Iowa knows it has to make a serious push over the rest of the regular season to crash that group, and even then there are no guarantees, particularly now that starter Taylor McCabe has seen her season end with an ACL tear.
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Taylor McCabe’s Injury Puts Iowa In a Fix
Iowa’s transition defense was exposed against USC, and the Hawkeyes never truly recovered as the Trojans rode fast-break chances and Iowa’s turnovers to an 81–69 win.
So what exactly went wrong for a team that had built its identity on being solid on that end of the floor?
“Taylor McCabe? She never blew an assignment,” confessed Jan Jensen as she broke down what went wrong. “She very rarely got beat on transition. She didn’t switch when she wasn’t supposed to switch. She doubled when she was supposed to double. And that’s my biggest concern, is you could just feel we … just don’t have that pop. I’ve got to figure things out,” Caitlin Clark’s former coach further added.
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There had been hope that freshman guard Addie Deal could help steady things amid the backcourt reshuffle, but in 17 minutes she went scoreless, finishing with just three rebounds and one assist as USC’s pressure repeatedly knocked Iowa out of rhythm.
Iowa Hawkeyes guard Taylor McCabe (2) defends a shot attempted by USC Trojans guard Kennedy Smith (11) during a Big Ten women’s basketball game Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.
McCabe was the glue that was holding the team together. She was averaging 8.1 points and 27.1 minutes a game. She was about a 40% shooter from three over her career.
She had bulked up her body and become a better rebounder this season (at 3.5 per game). McCabe’s absence has also taken away years from the team and made them younger in terms of experience.
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There has been a drastic dynamic shift, and that is causing problems, and to make matters worse, now the team will have to prepare to take on no 2 UCLA, which will be quite a step up in their competition.
With limited time at their disposal and a frustrated Addie Deal who “feels disappointed and frustrated” after a seriously bad day, the Hawkeyes seem to have quite a few problems on their plate right now that need to get sorted.Let’s hope Jan Jenses is able to do the needful before time runs out.
