Jan Jensen Shares 'Big Story' for Iowa Heading into NCAA Tournament

Iowa Hawkeyes coach Jan Jensen doesn't seem to love this one aspect of the NCAA Tournament.

Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Jan Jensen calls out to her team Friday, March 7, 2025, in a quarterfinals game at the 2025 TIAA Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Ohio State Buckeyes at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. | Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The No. 6 seed Iowa Hawkeyes will face a No. 11 seeded Murray State squad in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament on Saturday, marking the first NCAA Tournament game they'll have to play without global superstar Caitlin Clark in four seasons.

By the time the Hawkeyes take the court on Saturday, it will have been 15 days since their last game, which was a loss in the quarterfinal of the Big Ten Conference Tournament against the Ohio State Buckeyes.

When speaking with the media on Friday, Hawkeyes head coach Jan Jensen discussed this extended layoff and what it could mean for her team.

"I think the big thing is being off two weeks," Jensen said, per an article from Chad Leistikow of Hawkeye Central. "End of story. I mean, that's a lot of time. Two weeks of you're playing pretty well and then boom, you have to wait for that game-like feeling.

"So I think that's the big story for the conferences like ours that played two weeks ago," she added.

Entering her first NCAAT game as a head coach, Iowa's Jan Jensen outlines the Murray State challenge, Kylie Feuerbach's return & the Ava Heiden plan.https://t.co/0lMrSIkf64

— Chad Leistikow🆑 (@ChadLeistikow) March 21, 2025

If the Hawkeyes can emerge victorious against Murray State, they'll likely be matched up against the No. 3 seed Oklahoma Sooners in the second round, which will be a tough matchup for Iowa.

There's no doubt that Jan Jensen has several players who have experienced a deep run in the NCAA Tournament (such as standout forward Hannah Stuelke), but nobody can deny that the Hawkeyes lack the same firepower compared to seasons past.

However, anything can happen in March Madness. And if the Hawkeyes start the tournament hot, they could become a dark horse contender to make a deep run.