Who are the best in Iowa women’s basketball history? Women’s basketball has been under the microscope lately. In particular, the Iowa women’s basketball team has been a focus all the way through the NCAA tournament.
Though the focus has been on Caitlin Clark, one of the greatest players, let alone three guards, in women’s basketball history, the program deserves a deeper look.
Top 10 Best Iowa Women Basketball Players
Who makes the cut of the greatest players in Iowa women’s basketball history? We took the time to go through the Iowa women’s archives, checked out NCAA tournament history, and did a deep dive into the University of Iowa. Which women left the biggest impact on Iowa City?
The Pioneers of Success
Women’s basketball has only been in Iowa City since 1974. Long before the NCAA tournaments or Big Ten Championship appearances, Iowa basketball was just trying to win a few games. It took until 1978-79 to do so, but the real change came with the introduction of C. Vivian Stringer as the head coach.
The Hawkeyes became one of the most dominant college teams in women’s sports during the 1980s. Iowa played in 9 NCAA tournaments, won six Big Ten Championships, and even made the Final Four in 1993 under Stringer’s watch.
Though things in Iowa City took a step back for some time, it has since picked up with the hire of Lisa Bluder in 2000. Women’s sports have taken center stage (or center line, as it were) in Iowa City. The university has enjoyed much success in women’s basketball, winning five Big Ten Championship tournaments, and has even made the national championship game in back-to-back years.
NCAA Tournament Triumphs and Trials
Stringer led the University of Iowa women’s basketball to a pair of Elite Eight appearances before ultimately reaching the Final Four for the first time in 1993. Unfortunately, that would be about the extent of the success for some time.
Things really started to change with the addition of Clark to the team. The University of Iowa women’s basketball had been a solid program prior to her arrival, but she changed the game the minute she showed up on campus all the way through her final game.
Though the 2022 NCAA tournament was somewhat disappointing, including a second round loss to Creighton, it was what came after that was most memorable. The University of Iowa made the national championship for the first time in 2023, ultimately losing to LSU. Iowa City was thrilled to reach the final again in 2024, again falling short to end the year.
Legends of the Court: Iowa’s Most Celebrated Players
Who makes the cut of the greatest players in the history of the University of Iowa women’s basketball? Whose game will most be remembered? Most importantly, who managed to win the most? These players left their mark on the court, on the NCAA tournament, and Iowa City.
#10 – Jennie Baranczyk (2000-2004)
Though the recent focus on Iowa women’s basketball has been on Clark and her ability to score at will, there are a few players on this list that stood apart from the rest for being dominant on the defensive end of the floor. Baranczyk definitely falls into the latter, and her status in the top 10 of many Iowa statistical categories shows that.
Baranczyk averaged 14.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game over 122 career games. She is currently seventh in blocks and blocks per game, eighth in field goals, sixth in free throws, seventh in points, tenth in steals per game, and eighth in total rebounds. She was easily one of the most dominant Iowa players on both sides of the court.
Coach Jennie Baranczyk
#9 – Toni Foster (1989-1993)
Foster came during a time when reaching the second round was now becoming routine for the lady Hawkeyes. Her final year in Iowa City culminated in the school’s first Final Four appearance, a thrilling 73-72 overtime loss to No. 1-seed Ohio State.
Foster is sixth in blocks, seventh in field goals, fourth in field goal percentage, eighth in points, and fifth in total rebounds in program history. She did everything well even during one of the down periods in program history, solidifying her spot on this list.
#8 – Tangela Smith (1994-1998)
A forward/center mix, Smith was playing dominant two-way basketball for Iowa before heading to the WNBA. In 118 career games, she averaged a solid 13.5 points per game but made a name for herself with 7.3 rebounds per game and 2.0 blocks per game.
She is in the top 10 in rebounds (seventh), points (ninth), field goal percentage (sixth), field goal attempts (tenth), blocks (third), and blocks per game (third). Her all-around play easily earns her a spot among the greatest players in Iowa women’s basketball history.
#7 – Lindsey Meder (1998-2002)
Meder spent four years in Iowa City, teetering on the line of two eras for the school. No matter how you look at it, the girl could ball. In 114 career games played in Iowa, she averaged 14.3 points per game, 3.5 rebounds per game, and 2.1 assists per game.
Iowa reached the second round in three of the four seasons she spent there. It was a tough time for Iowa women’s sports, but Meder was a consistent force on the court. She is fifth in program history in points and actually leads in three-point shooting percentage. She is also one of the many great guards to wear Iowa uniforms in her career.
#6 – Morgan Johnson (2009-2013)
Morgan Johnson does not get the love that she deserves. She may very well be the most dominant center in the history of the program and falls just outside of the top five players to ever wear the Hawkeye black and gold.
In 130 career games, she averaged 12.2 points per game, 6.8 rebounds, and a whopping 2.3 blocks. She is the all-time leader in blocks and blocks per game, eighth in defensive rebounds, ninth in field goals, fifth in field goal percentage, ninth in free throw attempts, second in offensive rebounds, and second in personal fouls just to show the edge she brought to the table.
#5 – Ally Disterhoft (2013-2017)
Iowa has a history of great guards and Disterhoft is no different. She arrived on campus in 2013 and would go on to play four seasons wearing the black and gold uniforms. Though she made just one All-Big Ten team (2016-17), her impact was much larger.
Disterhoft led the Hawkeyes in scoring twice, having a dominant season as a sophomore and junior. She played 137 games across four seasons in Iowa City, averaging 15.3 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per game, and 2.3 assists per game. Her all-around game became a focal point for each season for Iowa.
When all was said and done, she played her way into the top 10 in many categories at Iowa. She finished fourth in points, sixth in offensive rebounds, and ninth in free throw percentage, among other things. Her legacy, combined with others who have played at Iowa, shows that it is one of the best places for a guard in college basketball.
#4 – Samantha Logic (2011-2015)
Long before Clark came to Iowa City, the black and gold uniforms were synonymous with Samantha Logic. Her play over four years helped navigate Iowa through a few rough seasons. Being a 5’9” guard, she fought an uphill battle throughout the course of her career but managed to stand out in every way.
Over 135 games for Iowa, she averaged just 11.5 points per game, but made her mark rebounding (6.8 per game) and could pass with anyone (6.7 assists per game). As a matter of fact, she was the all-time leader in assists for the school until Clark ultimately passed her (and every other record-holder the school ever had).
Logic also stands out because of her play on the defensive end of the floor. She’s second all-time in school history in steals and third in total rebounds. Though she wasn’t large in stature, her presence on the court is one that fans will remember. Her compete level is one that few who have played at this level can match.
Samantha Logic at the 2015 WBCA convention, being named to the 2015 WBCA All-America team
#3 – Monika Czinano (2018-2023)
Clark had more than her share of support despite finding a way to score at will against most teams. Part of the reason that Iowa was able to compete for a national title each season is because of a dominant center like Czinano in the middle.
Her game came through in the form of three All-Big Ten honors, including a dominant Big Ten tournament in 2023. She helped lead the Hawkeyes to victory in the tournament that year, the first of two-straight for the school.
Czinano played in 162 games over her five-year career. Now a member of TFSE-MTK Budapest in Hungary’s A Division, she averaged 14.9 points per game and 4.9 rebounds per game during her five seasons in Iowa City.
Monika Czinano on Iowa vs Purdue
#2 – Megan Gustafson (2015-2019)
After four years in Iowa City, Gustafson had left her mark as one of the best forwards in the nation. She finished first in school history in rebounds, second in points, and fourth in blocks, showing her dominance on both ends of the court.
During her time in Iowa City, she played her way onto the Big Ten All-Freshmen team. She also won Big Ten Player of the Year twice, plus a Naismith Player of the Year Award in 2019 to cap off her career.
In 135 games for the Hawkeyes, she put up 20.8 points per game, 10.8 rebounds per game, and shot an impressive 65.6% from the floor. Her time may have been temporarily made an afterthought thanks to Clark, but there is little doubt that her play will be remembered for decades to come.
Megan Gustafson warming up for a game against the Minnesota Lynx
#1 – Caitlin Clark (2020-2024)
How could anyone else top this list? She has changed the women’s game for the better, national title or not. She managed to score like no one in history could. There have been many great players in women’s basketball history, but Clark is one of the most dominant athletes in Division I history.
Record after record, deep NCAA tournament run after deep NCAA tournament run, Clark did it all in her time in school. She’ll be playing in the WNBA starting this year but will go down as one of the greatest athletes in University of Iowa history.
Losing in the national title game might not sit well with her, but her era produced some of the most memorable teams Iowa City has ever seen. The GOAT and an athlete who will compete for the top spot among the greatest athletes in Iowa history and the team has announced they retired her 22 shirt.
Clark signing autographs after a game in 2024
The Lisa Bluder Era
There is little doubt when searching the Iowa women’s archives that Lisa Bluder stands at the top of the coaching mountain. She and Iowa have made it out of the first round every year going back to 2018, with a Sweet 16 appearance a few years prior in 2015.
Since 2019, Bluder and Iowa have dominated the center line in every way. They have reached at least the Sweet 16 every year but one since 2019 (there was no tournament in 2020). They have been Big Ten Champions multiple times and even made back-to-back appearances in the national championship game to end the year in 2023 and 2024. The future is bright in Iowa City with Bluder at the helm.
Lisa Bluder on the sidelines during a 2023 Big Ten tournament game between Iowa and Purdue
Modern-day Hawkeyes: The New Generation
There is a misconception by some that the University of Iowa will struggle now that Clark is moving on. Though she is one of the greatest guards in the history of full court basketball, Iowa has anything but a bare cupboard moving forward.
Iowa has some of the best recruiting classes in the country of late, thanks in part to winning the Big Ten title and competing for the national title so consistently. There is no telling which member of the 2024-25 team will step up, take charge on the court, and lead the charge for Iowa women’s basketball.
The Hawkeye Community and Legacy
It cannot be understated just how important the Iowa women’s team has been for the university and Iowa City, as a whole. Women’s basketball has struggled to find a place on the national landscape, but Iowa City has been appreciative of the success that only this team has managed to bring.
Even going back to reaching the Final Four for the first time in 1993, the support from Iowa City has been there. Whether battling Stanford, being Big Ten champions, or reaching the NCAA tournament final in back-to-back years, Iowa City has been behind these girls. With all this momentum behind them, the only thing left to do is to bring an NCAA final victory to the fans.
