Iowa HC Discusses Chit-Chat Wright's Second-Half Absence

While it's not like the Iowa Hawkeyes needed Chit-Chat Wright like they did against Iowa State, fans were still concerned with her second-half absence. Iowa's 102-68 win over Lindenwood wasn't exactly perfect, as Wright only played 18 minutes.

Ultimately, the Georgia Tech transfer was the only starter to finish with under 20 minutes. After dropping a career-high 21 points against the Cyclones in 37 minutes, all signs pointed towards Wright being back to 100%.

Against the Lions, that proved not to be the case. Head coach Jan Jensen doesn't believe it's anything severe, but it's clear she's taking the cautious approach as Wright disappeared for the entire second half.

Jensen Discusses Wright's Absence

Jan Jensen says Chit-Chat Wright left the game early out of an abundance of caution.

"She was a little bit concerned and nervous about it, so we thought, let's chill it."

Added that it didn't sound like she got hit in the head again.
— Kyle Huesmann (@HuesmannKyle) December 13, 2025

"I feel like we're just being really cautious, I think, after that injury that she had. She was a little bit concerned and nervous about it, so we thought, 'let's chill it,'" Jensen said.

Wright hit the floor hard against Baylor, which forced her to miss three games. She returned against Rutgers, but only played eight minutes as it was clear the Hawkeyes had that game in control.

Iowa State Cyclones Arianna Jackson (2) defends Iowa Hawkeyes guard Chazadi 'chit-Chat' Wright (11) — Dec 10, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones Arianna Jackson (2) defends Iowa Hawkeyes Chazadi 'chit-Chat' Wright (11) during the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

After seeing how dominant she was against the No. 10 team in the nation, it's a bit concerning that Wright is once again trending in the wrong direction. Jensen made sure to clear everything up, as she called it, precautionary measures. Thankfully for Iowa, they have a week off before heading to New York to play No. 1 UConn.

Iowa Needs Chit-Chat Wright Healthy

A Holly Jolly W 🎅🏼🎄 pic.twitter.com/aa78oLB9Fm
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) December 14, 2025

Come Dec. 20, Iowa will return to action as it takes on the nation's top team at the Barclays Center. This is a huge opportunity for the Hawkeyes on a national stage, and they know their chances of victory are quite slim without Wright on the field.

Taylor Stremlow is amazing, but she's no Chit-Chat. Each has its strengths and can lead the team to victories, but Jensen is well aware of just how much Wright brings to the table. That's not saying anything bad about Stremlow, but there's a clear and obvious answer as to who the team would rather have as their starting point guard against the Huskies.

With a true week off, Wright can take it as easy as she needs to. There's no need to rush her back into practice, though it's important she's as prepared as possible for Iowa's toughest test of the season. It doesn't get much more difficult than this, so it's vital that Wright is back to 100% by next weekend.

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