The Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball team’s journey to the Final Four in 2023 was a culmination of decades of hard work and perseverance. Despite facing a seemingly impermeable top tier of women’s college basketball, head coach Lisa Bluder, and her coaching staff – Jan Jensen and Jenni Fitzgerald – have been growing together for 23 seasons to build a formidable team.
Coaching Trio’s Rise to Become Final Four Caliber Team
Bluder is one of 15 Division I coaches to win at least 800 games. With the Final Four appearance, it adds another line to her resume for the Hall of Fame. When Bluder accepted the Iowa job, her oldest daughter, Hannah, was about 2 1/2 years old, but now Hannah is the team’s director of basketball operations.
Jensen has a national reputation for developing elite post-players, but that hasn’t stopped her from staying with Bluder and Fitzgerald and helping lead Iowa to this point. Their rise as a final four caliber team took time but was well worth it.
Assistant Coach Jan Jensen’s Personal Loss Before Elite Eight Win
Iowa assistant coach Jan Jensen experienced an unexpected personal loss before their Elite Eight win against Louisville. Her father, Dale Jensen, passed away after battling pancreatic cancer. However, his goal was to watch his daughter’s team until the very end.
Jan felt a sense of unexpected confidence after her father’s passing. The team won their Elite Eight game against Louisville with an impressive score of 97-83. Jan Jensen climbed the ladder to cut down the nets with a smile on her face, knowing her father was watching.
Childhood Friends Reunite at Women’s Final Four
Cami Christensen and Jan Jensen have been friends since they were babies in Elk Horn, Iowa. They both grew up playing basketball together for the Elk Horn-Kimbelton Lady Danes, and their families were very close. Today, Christensen is the GM and president of Westgate Las Vegas, while Jensen works as the associate head coach of the University of Iowa’s women’s basketball team.
The two women reunited in Dallas for the Women’s Final Four, where Iowa competed. Jensen’s father died the day the Hawkeyes were to face Louisville in the Elite Eight at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena. Christensen joined her friend to offer support during this difficult time.
The game drew 2.5 million viewers, and the Hawkeyes upset the Cardinals 97-82 behind Caitlin Clark’s historic triple-double of 41 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds. Christensen usually hosted small watch parties at Westgate SuperBook during the tournament.
The Trio’s Journey to Building a Final Four Caliber Team
Iowa’s rise to become a Final Four-caliber team took time because of how the top tier of women’s college basketball seemed impenetrable. Despite that, Bluder persevered with her coaching staff and developed a formidable team.
Some of the best memories for Bluder, Jensen, and Fitzgerald are not necessarily those that accompanied their best teams. They have had plenty of laughs together over the years.
In conclusion, Iowa’s journey was an inspiration to many aspiring basketball teams around America. It was a well-deserved win for them and has definitely put them on the map as a formidable competitor in women’s college basketball.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
