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

March 23, 2026

Jan Jensen

Kylie Feuerbach

Hannah Stuelke

Carver-Hawkeye Arena

Iowa Hawkeyes

Media Conference

Virginia 83, Iowa 75

JAN JENSEN: Well, obviously we had a really tremendous year that ended really with a disappointing moment. You know, I will also have to recall all the good things that happened during this year because when an ending happens like this, it's always hard to remember.

But I was often asked about a month ago if this team had exceeded expectations, and I didn't know exactly how to answer that at the offset of one of those questions because I hadn't thought about it. But then when I really delved into it a little bit, I do believe they did.

Nobody really had us in that top 5 in the Big Ten conference, and we had a lot of youth. We had sprinkled with some stellar young women who were seniors.

But as we began the trajectory it was a lot of the young people that were stepping up in Ava Heiden burst on to the time, Taylor Stremlow became a pretty key, pretty steady leader, Chit-Chat Wright showed on occasion what she was going to be capable of doing.

Overall, a heck of a year. This type of ending, definitely disappointing. But when I briefly looked at the box score, I don't believe we deserved to win it. Virginia, hats off. They came in here and you win -- sometimes when you're that underdog -- in March, most people cheer for the underdog. You can play with a lot less pressure, and you come in here and you're just kind of rolling and they get one and they get two and what do you got to lose.

They played really, really well. But with us, I believe we took 20 more shots and we weren't able to win it. I think we out-rebounded them. I need to get my glasses -- did we out-rebound them?

HANNAH STUELKE: By eight.

JAN JENSEN: All the things you should do. But when you look at categories that need to happen, the free throws, the shooting percentage, you just -- that hurts because those things are a little bit more controllable.

But overall, Virginia, Coach Mox did a great job at Missouri State. Heck of a job here. Hard to do. I would like to clarify my comments I said to FDU coach. She was really great. I was talking about the principle of a lot of times this is hard to do, to come in on someone's court and win, and certainly a lot of times when you're a mid major.

I don't think the game is there yet for the women's game to move, and I love being at home, and am thankful for our crowd.

But to do what Coach Mox and company did, that's really hard, and all the credit to them.

Q. For both players, this is your last home game. What do you take away from your experience here at Iowa, and how disappointing is this day the way it turned out?

KYLIE FEUERBACH: Yeah, it's really hard. You can go.

HANNAH STUELKE: I'm really thankful for the opportunity to play here. It's been a lot of fun. Just spending time with these -- she's going to make me cry. Spending time with these girls has been such a blessing to me.

Obviously not the way we wanted the game to go, but yeah, I think I'll carry it throughout my life and learn from it, and I'll be a stronger person for it.

Q. What were they able to do in overtime that took the game away from you?

KYLIE FEUERBACH: They hit some clutch shots. Like Coach J said, we had 20 more shots taken, and they were just more efficient than us.

But yeah, hats off to them for the way that they played in those double OTs. Yeah, they had played another game, as well. They pushed through it. But they just got more shots off, made more shots.

Q. How will you remember this group of seniors because you've been with them all the way. How will you remember them?

JAN JENSEN: I'm just really grateful. This is a new era of athletics. We talk about it, the rev share, the branding, the NIL, all the things. You can jump things pretty quickly, pretty easily, make a little more bucks, play a little more. But these guys, they held. They held two years ago, and along with that class of Lucy Olson and Syd Affolter, AJ Ediger, Addison O'Grady and these two along with Jada Gyamfi and Taylor McCabe. They bridged the generations. To me that's what I call it, the generation of -- there's been a lot of storied history here, starting with Vivian Stringer, certainly Lisa Bluder -- but they stayed. They helped with the recruiting. They helped not skip a beat. Them and the fan base, I'm really grateful.

But these guys are stellar women. Taylor McCain, I think she might put off engineering a little bit. I think she's crazy enough to get into coaching. She might be our GA next year Kylee, she's got a lot of opportunities. I think she'd like to maybe keep playing, smaller market, overseas, we'll see. Hannah might get a shot, probably get called for the WNBA, at least for training camp, and Jada Gyamfi is going to be a wonderful elementary schoolteacher. So they're going to make their mark really well in life. They're stellar young women. I'm really grateful for all they've meant.

Q. You got the lead in the fourth quarter and there was that point when you could have put the game away. How did they rally and get back into it and force the overtime?

JAN JENSEN: Well, I mean, it's kind of a blur when I look at it right now. I think we missed some point blank shots. We just missed a couple shots that could have, I think, made -- kind of sealed the deal. We took a couple shots we shouldn't have at that time, too early, and they just made big plays.

Usually when you win in March, someone is going to make big plays. They made some really big plays.

I mean, you know, eventually our poor free-throw shooting is going to catch up with you. We've gotten by, and I'd like the record to state we have worked on it. I'd also like the record to state that no one feels worse than the people that miss it, but that'll forever be something we have to contend with in a social media world.

But missed free throws, ill advised shots, missed really good shots, and a team that was very good at making big shots.

Q. Journey Houston really stepped up for you this game. What were your expectations for her coming in and how did it evolve? With the season completed, what does she mean to you?

JAN JENSEN: Yeah, I think she was a really fun storyline, too. We wouldn't have won some of those games in the conference without her. She's able to play with some bigger people because she has a bigger heart, and after we kind of convinced her we needed her a little bit more at the 4, she's undersized today but she really had some impactful minutes and moments, her perimeter game isn't there yet. She wanted to play the 3. It's not there. She doesn't have a left hand yet quite as much.

When you're in high school and you're playing the perimeter, when you get to this level, people are bigger, faster, stronger. After we kind of got over that hurdle and said you're going to get minutes here or none there, she was able to say, okay, let me adjust my mindset a bit, and she's really been a really valuable key cog.

I think she could have a really, really great summer, and I hope that she commits to it because she's a stellar kid to coach.

Q. In terms of those expectations, you talked about her developing her perimeter game, is that going to be a point of emphasis next year, and what are your expectations for her as a sophomore?

JAN JENSEN: Well, obviously we haven't shot the ball really well. I need to find people that are going to make shots. You can take a lot of shots, you've got to make some shots. I'm hopeful that she can continue with that.

I recruited her in AAU, as well, and she has the capability to hit threes. We need her to continue that and really expand her game ball handling wise, too, to put it on the floor and finish the make the reads.

Q. Could you talk about Chit-Chat? You talked about her the other day, wanting to see her be a little more aggressive offensively. Obviously today she's in double figures and had the ball in her hands at the end of the game. Can you talk a little bit about what you saw from her today?

JAN JENSEN: Yeah, I think we saw some good positive strides. I think it'll be fun to watch her growth. I think she played more off the ball last year for Georgia Tech.

I don't think I made as much strides with her to get her a little bit more vocal, to get her to be a little bit more demanding. It's hard in a big environment when the shot clock is winding down to get a play in or to get something set. That's my big thing all year, to kind of get her to kind of take it over.

I thought we saw some really good moments, though, today, and I thought she did answer the bell a little bit more today. I think it'll also -- she'll also need to, and hopefully we'll have a really good summer.

Q. Can you talk about what an incredible couple games it was for Ava Heiden, 27 and a half points in these two games. Talk about her stepping up building into next season.

JAN JENSEN: Yeah, I've just got to look, what is she, 11 for 22 today? Yeah, Ava, we're not where we are without Ava. She's been a pretty big workhorse. I'm a little bit critical when it comes to percentages in the post; 50 percent is a little bit low. But Ava, she got in some foul trouble. She was playing against some taller kids.

I think really a big storyline was the fact that she got those two fouls within, I don't know what it was, five minutes.

It was kind of an interesting game. A lot of the nemesis of our issues early on, Ava had a little foul trouble, we didn't shoot the ball really well, we didn't shoot the free throws very well. Defense held usually well enough.

But yeah, Ava, I think -- if she has the jump that she did from a year ago to now, if we get that jump again, I still think she should have ended up being one of the top 5 centers in the country. She's probably just shy of that.

But I think that we're not here without Ava. We're extremely proud of her. I think today, I think that first five minutes really was the game.