The questions around Iowa were loud and unavoidable. Caitlin Clark was gone, a new head coach was in place, and the expectation was that a step back would follow. Instead, Iowa has spent the past week answering those doubts in the clearest way possible.

The Hawkeyes just dismantled No. 12 Ohio State 91–70 on Sunday, pushing their winning streak to eight games. They now sit at 18–2 overall and 9–0 in Big Ten play, a start that has quietly reset expectations around the program.

The reason for that turnaround is no longer difficult to identify. Hannah Stuelke, a senior who played alongside Caitlin Clark, has emerged as the steady presence anchoring head coach Jan Jensen’s first true run atop the program. That consistency, according to analyst Sabreena Merchant, has fundamentally changed how Iowa operates.

“She’s had double figures in 10 of her last 11 games,” Merchant said. “It’s the type of consistency you hope for from your veterans.” That reliability matters more than ever on a roster that no longer revolves around a single offensive engine.

Stuelke’s production backs up the shift Merchant described. She is averaging 14.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, while posting four double-doubles in her last five outings. Against Ohio State, she delivered 18 points and 15 rebounds. Earlier in the stretch, she poured in 22 points against Michigan State.

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That stretch has come with recognition. Stuelke has collected AP National Player of the Week, USBWA Player of the Week, and Big Ten Player of the Week honors during Iowa’s surge.

More importantly, her approach changed after a stumble. Following a January 5 game against Northwestern in which she finished with eight points and five rebounds, Jensen noticed a shift in how Stuelke carried herself. “She was nostalgic about being a senior and feeling a little bit of the pressure,” Jensen said.

From that point on, Iowa’s tone changed. Stuelke’s steadiness has created space for others to thrive. With Taylor McCabe sidelined, freshman Addie Deal stepped into the lineup and erupted for a game-high 20 points against Ohio State. Ava Heiden added 18 points on 9-for-11 shooting.

As a result, Iowa has not simply survived the post-Clark transition. It has evolved.

This version of the Hawkeyes looks different from the team that leaned on Clark two years ago. The scoring is more distributed, the rhythm is calmer, and the leadership is coming from experience rather than volume.

That pattern is not unique to Iowa. Across the Big Ten, programs navigating life after a centerpiece scorer have leaned heavily on veteran anchors to stabilize younger rotations. In Iowa’s case, that anchor has been obvious, and increasingly decisive.

Hannah Stuelke wins Naismith award as Iowa faces tough opponents

The recent hardware is not just symbolic. Stuelke’s second Naismith National Player of the Week award this season reinforced that her production is not a one-week spike. During that stretch, she averaged 17.3 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game, marking her sixth double-double of the year.

That consistency is why Iowa’s unbeaten conference run feels sustainable rather than fragile.

Now comes the next pressure point. Iowa heads west to face USC before a marquee matchup against No. 3 UCLA. Those games will test whether Stuelke’s interior presence and leadership translate against elite size and physicality.

What is already clear, however, is the larger meaning. Post-Caitlin Clark Iowa has not stalled. It has re-centered around a familiar figure who understands the standard and enforces it nightly. If the Hawkeyes navigate the upcoming trip successfully, Stuelke’s role will no longer be framed as a transition piece.

It will be viewed as the foundation of Jan Jensen’s turnaround.