Iowa’s foul free-throw shooting ‘isn’t a stat that I haven’t addressed’

IOWA CITY — Ten games is enough of a sample size.

More than one-third of the way through the regular season, it’s enough to make this statement:

This is not a good free-throw shooting team.

In fact, at the current rate, it is on pace to be Iowa’s worst foul-shooting team in more than 30 years.

“I wish I had the magic,” Iowa women’s basketball coach Jan Jensen said Wednesday night after the Hawkeyes suffered their first loss of the season.

“One thing I know, they’ve probably got to get in the gym a little more. This isn’t a stat that I haven’t addressed.”

The 11th-ranked Hawkeyes (9-1) are shooting 65.4 percent from the line. The last time they were below that bar, it was 1994-95 (.645).

They were 6 of 12 in Wednesday’s 74-69 loss to Iowa State.

There are bright spots: Kylie Feuerbach has made 19 of 21 (.905), Chit-Chat Wright 12 of 14 (.857).

But the three players that get to the line most — Ava Heiden, Hannah Stuelke and Layla Hays — are shooting at the exact same percentage (.567) from the line as they are from the field.

In one case, that’s great. In the other, that’s not good enough.

And in close games, which figure to be the norm once Big Ten play resumes, that could be costly.

The Hawkeyes host Lindenwood (7-2) in their second-to-last non-conference game Saturday. Tipoff is 2 p.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Jensen’s mood, and that of her players in Wednesday’s postgame press conference, was mostly upbeat.

“I think from this game, we’re going to learn a lot,” senior Taylor McCabe said. “It’s going to make us ready for more.”

Based in suburban St. Louis, Lindenwood has quickly made the transition to Division-I. The Lions’ first two seasons netted records of 2-24 and 7-21, then broke out with a 23-11 campaign in 2024-25, winning two games in the WNIT.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com