Iowa Needs Hannah Stuelke Back for B1G Tournament

Fresh off the Iowa Hawkeyes victory in Madison, there was a notable absence from the nation's No. 9 ranked team.

Senior forward Hannah Stuelke missed her second game of the season as she was a late scratch due to an upper-body injury.

Stuelke got hurt in the team's victory over Illinois, though no one batted an eye as she dropped 18 points in that one along with five rebounds and four assists.

For the second time in the team's last four games, Stuelke didn't compete. It's certainly something to keep an eye on, and is something second year head coach Jan Jensen is closely monitoring.

Jensen on Stuelke's Injury

BREAKING:

Hannah Stuelke (upper body) is OUT for today’s game against Wisconsin.

She is considered day-to-day and is hopeful to be back for the Big Ten Tournament. pic.twitter.com/YvjbiM9jq9
— Kyle Huesmann (@HuesmannKyle) March 1, 2026

"I had a feeling it was going to be one of those things when you wake up and the excitement's down, it's going to be swollen," she said. "A lot of coaches say day-to-day. It really is because of the swelling. Thankfully, I think we can get her back. But I'm not sure when."

Jensen continued, "I would love for it to be by the Big Ten Tournament. If you watch it, (the arm) was pretty torqued. So I'm hopeful, but I just decided to give that to the good Lord. We're not going to have her today, and I've just got to keep having everyone ready."

Iowa may not have needed Stuelke to get past Wisconsin, but scoring 81 points on a Badgers team that has now lost nine-straight isn't extremely impressive. A win is a win and the Hawkeyes needed it going into the B1G tournament, but Stuelke's health is far more important than blowing out the conference's No. 15 seed.

Stuelke Remains Second in Points Per Game

1,500 career points 🤩

Last night, @StuelkeHannah became the 16th player in program history to net 1,500+ career points! pic.twitter.com/X8VoXSrJVh
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) February 27, 2026

Sophomore Ava Heiden is fresh off her ninth double-double of the season, an incredible feat, to say the least. She continues to carry this team on her back, though everyone knows she's far more efficient when Stuelke's on the field as well.

Finding a one-two combo like Stuelke and Heiden is extremely hard to do, but it's impossible to replicate. Even though Heiden had her way against Wisconsin, that doesn't mean she will against whatever team stands in her way during the B1G tournament, should Stuelke need another day or two of rest.

Obviously Iowa needs Stuelke for the NCAA Tournament, but a solid performance in the conference tournament all but guarantees them a No. 2 seed in March Madness.

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