The 2025-26 campaign started great for the Iowa Hawkeyes. But only for everything to fall apart. They are in a phase they have hardly been in recent years. The team is on a losing spree as they drop 4 straight games, something they feel was winnable. But the question you, us, and everybody watching the sport ask is, Where is the team lacking in Caitlin Clark’s absence? The situation for the Iowa-based team is so bad that they lost 87-84 to Nebraska for the first time in 7 years in the Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The team is young, looks fresh, and has individual brilliance, so what is the element that lacks? Could it be the on-court leadership? It is no hidden secret that the Jan Jensen-headed team has failed to find a replacement for former star Caitlin Clark, someone who made things look easy even when it was not. One of the greatest college players of all time, Clark leaves behind a gap that is hard to fill. But Jansen does not believe in giving up either. She is confident that this freshman can bring back the glory the team needs and is just a step away from returning again to their winning streaks.

Jansen bets on a freshman to fill Caitlin Clark’s shoes

The Hawkeyes’ third straight loss at home is not an easy thing to digest for the 56-year-old coach. But she thinks the Clark-led Iowa is now a thing of the past, and the new girls have talent. All they need is support and attention rather than a reminder to drool over history. Speaking to the media after the game against Illinois, she said, “I think it’s really important for everybody to let this year’s team be this year’s team.”

The Iowa Hawkeye insider David Eickholt shared the name on the coach’s mind on his X writing, “Jan Jensen was asked who in the locker room or in the huddle has spoken up and led: Aaliyah Guyton. Strong praise for the true freshman.”

The coach is now in search of a leader for her pack. And she sees that talent in Aaliyah Guyton. The 18-year-old’s career-high score of 14 points in this game with 4 assists and 2 rebounds in 26 minutes gave Jansen a new ray of hope. Referring to Aaliyah’s acumen, which can help the team, Jansen said, “Okay, we missed it, but I think Aaliyah’s wise beyond her years with that.”

Showering praise for the young lad, the coach who now leads ex-coach Lisa Bluder’s Hawkeyes in the postgame press conference continues, “Guyton does a heck of a job, and there’s a reason she was playing tonight. She just has a really great perspective about it, and I just love that. Syd also tries, but Aaliyah’s got a really good ‘steady.’ She just moves on.”

As the team struggles to find its leader, these comments by the coach are an indirect hint to senior players to pull up their socks. With seniors like Hannah Stuelke, Lucy Olsen, and Sydney already in the team, the race for leader gets a new option with the inclusion of the number 11, as the team continues to drop crucial points. 

Iowa struggles in the nerve game

The poor show on the scoreboard is not a true reflection of the game, as the Hawkeyes too had their moment. They had an 11-point lead with six minutes left but failed to close out the game under pressure. This remains a cause of concern as they got exposed against the Cornhuskers.

The misery does not stop here. Teams have been successful in tapping on Iowa’s defensive lapses, allowing them to come back in the late quarters. Interestingly, the defense was not the Hawkeyes’ forte even in the last four years. However, the Iowa sensation made sure that her offense was enough to rule out any damage on the other end of the floor.

Former Iowa women’s basketball player Caitlin Clark reacts after a foul call on Iowa during the Drake vs. Iowa basketball game at Knapp Center on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Des Moines.

No matter what the coach says, the absence of Clark, the all-time leading scorer in the NCAA Division I, is pinching the Hawkeyes. But again, the management needs to find a way to bounce back as soon as possible, as fans and commentators point out their late-game collapses due to poor coordination and on-court leadership.