NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: SECOND ROUND - IOWA VS OKLAHOMA

March 24, 2025

Jan Jensen

Kylie Feuerbach

Lucy Olsen

Lloyd Noble Center

Iowa Hawkeyes

Media Conference

Oklahoma - 96, Iowa - 62

JAN JENSEN: As I told our team, it wasn't the outcome we wanted. Certainly the way that we played wasn't how we had been playing. But credit a really good Oklahoma team.

But I hope what people will remember about this season is what these young women did with probably one of the most difficult rebuilding or reloading jobs. It took us a while to put it in the rearview mirror a lot of the questions about Caitlin and company, a lot of the questions about that era and back-to-back, all the things and the championship and the NCAAs.

But when we did and we allowed this team to become who they could be, then it really started to blossom. I think we ended up winning it was 11 out of the last 15 games.

And they were, are just a really great group of young women. I couldn't be more proud of them. I'm just really -- the only thing I'm sad about is that it ended like this, but credit Oklahoma.

I told them they didn't deserve to have an ending like that but sometimes in life we don't get what we deserve, both ways. Sometimes we get a lot. Sometimes there's really bad things that happen in life and people don't deserve that either.

But this was a game. It was unfortunate. But, man, what a ride it has been with one of my favorite all-time groups of people.

Q. How do you explain the rebounding margin? It was not pretty.

KYLIE FEUERBACH: I think going into the game, that was definitely something we knew was going to be a key asset to the game. They definitely got a majority of their second-chance points. That was from the rebounds, obviously.

They did a great job at positioning. We probably could have done a little better. But we knew going into the game their box-outs and rebounds would be really important.

Q. It seemed like this game was maybe a little more physical than what you guys are used to. Do I have that read correct? And did that affect the rebounding margin?

LUCY OLSEN: I think we practice pretty physical. Our guys got us ready for it. I think we could have stepped up a little better. But, yeah, they're a strong team. I think we just should have rebounded better.

Q. Kylie, you had 14 points. Five of them came in the third quarter, which was where a lot of the damage by Oklahoma was done. Especially with you returning for a fifth year, how does it feel that you're someone who is still able to step up, create those opportunities for your team even if the odds just aren't great for you guys and maybe the team's fallen behind a little bit?

KYLIE FEUERBACH: I think, in the third quarter, we felt like there was a lot of momentum going our way in those first couple of minutes. That's kind of where I felt a little bit of confidence. These girls I'm with on the floor always instill confidence in me and I instill confidence in them.

Every single year that I've played here it's the same. It's just the way the culture is. And I'm very grateful for that.

Q. Lucy, it's awful early for reflection, but in a few words, how will you remember this one year with this program?

LUCY OLSEN: I'm super grateful that I got the chance to play here. There were a lot of ups and downs, but super proud of the team and everyone became my family.

Got the best coach here. I'm just super grateful for it and wouldn't want it any other way. It just wasn't supposed to happen tonight.

Q. Early on in this game you guys were able to get out to an early lead and it kind of ended up snowballing. Felt like early the points off turnovers, a quick five, and then as OU kind of builds a lead those points off turnovers slowed down for you guys. Was it something on the Oklahoma end; they were trying to clean some things up? Or how would you define that in your eyes?

JAN JENSEN: That's why you want to host. It's really a benefit. When it rolls with you, you get a little bit more comfortable.

I think it was just they're really good. They're athletes. They hit the portal hard. They're bigger, faster, stronger. I told you yesterday the degree of difficulty to guard all that.

I would say, what's been weird, we shot 11 free throws in this regional -- 11. 27 free throws to our seven today. Oklahoma, they're going to win. When it's called like that -- and it was not why we lost the game; may that be clear -- but 27 to seven. And then 11 in the two games. So I think that's part of it.

I don't think we thought about it much at the time. I don't think the players did. I think we weren't really hitting. I don't think you can really -- without some bigs, really big bodies, you can't really slow or stop Oklahoma. You've got to score with them.

That was my big thing. I just thought it was kind of the roll of the dice because when we haven't performed well this year, we've had too many scoring droughts. That would be three minutes, right? And that's why we lost some close games.

But this one, when it goes south on you and you are just a different mentality when it's the last, when you're in a one-and-done tournament. That's where I couldn't, in the timeouts, you could just start the upperclassmen. You're trying to reel it back. As a coach, you're trying to slow the tension and so forth.

But I think it was just the fact that Oklahoma's defense was really good, but then we missed some wide-open looks too. There were some shots. We missed some layups. That's a credit, it's the mental greatness of the defense.

But I just think to win on the road in an NCAA Tournament on someone's home court, you've got to really hit and the game's gotta be called a way that you're going to get to the line a little more.

Q. The intentional foul, first of all, did you get an explanation for that? And secondly did you feel like that's where that momentum really went into Oklahoma's favor?

JAN JENSEN: I did. I mean, I didn't have a chance to see it. I just asked some unbiased people at the scorer's table, and I don't know if they were NCAA, one was an Oklahoma. I said, what's your gut on that? They're, like, we're a little surprised it got upgraded.

I felt like it was -- but I have to see it again. It's not one thing. But that was a five-point swing at the wrong time. I'm curious if they could pull the hands. Did anybody see it? Did it look like Hannah intentionally did that? I don't think so.

But you know what? We need to make more shots.

I just thought that was a kind of weird thing, and I thought it was one of the big swing in the game. When you swing it like that and they capitalize -- I think she missed a free throw, right? Then they hit a 3 or something out of it.

I think our players were pretty frustrated. It was like -- I was trying to calm them down but I thought that was a big swing in the game.

Q. It's crazy, but it's been probably four or five months since the media day where you were answering all those questions about Caitlin. You were talking about Lucy as like one of the best mid-range players you've seen. She's certainly had a crazy season, ups and downs with the team. But overall, just what's your impression of her, even though she only got one year here but it was part of such a transitional rebuilding year?

JAN JENSEN: If she could have had two years here, we probably would see her percentage go a little bit up. She had to learn so much of our system. Obviously, I believe the Big Ten is so much different than the Big East. And the Big East and the Big Ten are so much different than the SEC.

So I think just -- she had to learn and cram so much in, and also leading. But she did it with so much resiliency and so much positivity.

I just feel really badly for her. They're just a really great group of young women, poured their heart and souls into it. I talked about it, it's a lesson in life. It doesn't guarantee all your hard work and resiliency. We just picked the wrong day, a bad day to have a bad day, right?

But Lucy Olsen, we aren't here without Lucy Olsen. I just hope that she always feels so proud of that. I think she enjoyed her experience. I think the ups and the downs are going to help shape her. But we are not here without Lucy and she'll always be part of my life and I'll always be a part of hers, all of them.

Q. Despite the ending of this season, how do you feel the season went as your first time as head coach?

JAN JENSEN: I think a huge success. I really do. I know it's hard to sit here -- I feel really badly about the loss, but taking over for a couple of icons is what I always wanted to do. I'm so grateful for everything I was a part of.

But when you get into -- I knew it would be hard to take it over, but the knowing and the going through were two different things. Lots of shadows looming. Just how the players -- they had to really understand that too and grow and morph, and we had a lot of resiliency. We lost a lot of close games.

Really, we never let a game get away from us this whole year until now. We played Tennessee. We played Maryland. Certainly OU is really, really good. But this was the first time where I just really thought it went off the rails, just mentally you could sense it. But I really think it's because they loved it so much and they didn't want it to be over.

When you really love something -- when you think about a good book or a good movie you're watching, aren't you just disappointed when you know what it's about -- you know what happened in the book, you got a page and a half left and you know it's got to end even though you really know.

That's what it feels like in this game. It's just all of a sudden I don't really like that ending. What's worse than the ending of the book is the ending of their careers. It's the ending of a season.

That's the brilliance of sport. The exhilaration if you're Oklahoma Sooners, but when you're the losers, there's only going to be one, at some point there's only one in this March Madness.

So when I think back on that, they were so amazing. They got here. I mean, we had a five-game losing streak. It wasn't looking good that we were going to go anywhere but the NIT.

So then to get a 6 seed and have the respect of the committee, yeah, I am really proud of the year. Not proud of what we were today, but I'm going to credit Oklahoma. They did a heck of a job.

Q. You touched on a lot of things there. Just the pressure that this team dealt with from the beginning that even getting this opportunity at times looked bleak. Just how pivotal do you feel like this year is in keeping the momentum going of this program and everything you guys are about?

JAN JENSEN: I think it was huge. I don't know for sure, but I think it's South Carolina, UConn and us that sold out. When we have hosted, we sell out.

In fact, wish we could have done a little better and hosted. But I think the fan base, that's what I told the players, the thing that I think that was so wonderful is the Iowa fan base fell in love with them too.

I think for me, I get choked up thinking about it, we have an intelligent fan base, you're going to have trolls on the side, people hammering us for this. But really the people that understand basketball can appreciate a really good Oklahoma team and can really appreciate what this team did, right, I feel like it was pivotal.

I think they see the hope. We have an incredible freshman class coming in. Hopefully with some portal action. I think it's clear when you have portal wins, right, with a Raegan Beers and a Payton Verhulst, you get an inside and outside, what can instantly happen.

So we'll give those shots, but it ain't for lack of trying. Every program in the country is trying that. But I love our freshmen coming in. I love our freshmen on our team right now. They got a taste of it.

I think the year was pivotal. I think it was successful. I think Iowa women's basketball has had a rich tradition. It's continuing. I think we have a sensational culture. I'd like to think that at the end of the day with all the money that has instantaneously rebuilt programs, I'm hoping that some day that culture, it won't just come down to the dollar signs and people will start to realize that you can wait until you're later in life to chase the money, but try to find a place that you're going to grow and going to really love the people you're playing with, and I just think that's where we're all going to be in a weird juxtaposition now.

Used to be people asked, when they came, they would ask about academics, know where are they living, and all the questions we're getting now, they're not around that. So I'm hopeful that this team continues that joy and that culture and we'll keep attracting to it.