The Iowa Hawkeyes are still trying to find their footing after Caitlin Clark's departure to the WNBA, but they may have an answer.

The Iowa Hawkeyes don't run low on talent. Ava Heiden, Hannah Stuelke, and Chazadi ‘Chit-Chat’ Wright are the team's leading scorers. And according to HC. Jensen, it’s Wright who may ultimately determine just how dangerous this team can become. 

“The beauty of Chit-Chat and the hard thing is she’s such a pass-first point guard and she loves to defer,” Jensen said after Iowa’s win over Penn State. “If there’s a play that has three options and they’re all for her, she’ll choose every other option before one of those three. It’s a unique battle, and so, I’ve been really working with her and challenged our staff…You see, when she gets going, it really opens everybody else up.”

Against Penn State, she posted 12 points in the first quarter, making two threes, two two-point field goals, and two free throws without missing a shot. The early scoring helped Iowa build momentum and control the game from the opening minutes.

Wright has managed a scoreline of 12.1 points per game, 2.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. And while they're not as astronomical as Clark's numbers, Wright is ready to lead after moving to Iowa from Georgia State.

"I have had to grow just with being more vocal and then also stepping into this new role of coming to a new school and never having been outside of Georgia or lived outside of Georgia. So, it’s like everything is new, but I am embracing it. It’s going to be a challenge, but I’m ready to take on that challenge."

The Hawkeyes' schedule needs a player like Chit-Chat Wright

The Georgia Tech transfer will be playing the Big Ten for the first time. But she's already had a taste of playing against ranked powerhouses like UConn and Iowa State, while handing a loss to Baylor. 

Their next game is on Thursday, January 1st, versus the Nebraska Cornhuskers, following which the schedule only gets tougher. 

Michigan State, Maryland, Ohio State, USC, UCLA, and Michigan will all be in the like next. 

As Jensen looks to optimize Wright as a reliable scoring option, Iowa’s 83.5 PPG might see a surge in the following months. 

Written by

Fatema Kapasi

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar