SAD NEWS: Hannah Stuelke has made a cruel decision by terminating her biggest contract and signing to leave the team to the neighboring team angrily.

SAD NEWS: Hannah Stuelke has made a cruel decision by terminating her biggest contract and signing to leave the team to the neighboring team angrily.

IOWA CITY, Iowa: The same objective is whispered to sophomore forward Hannah Stuelke by Iowa women’s basketball assistant coach Raina Harmon at least once a week.

Harmon intends to mention it casually or after a practice following a significant play, hoping that the 6-foot-2 Stuelke will get closer to the actual target with each passing week.

“Future All-American,” proclaims Harmon.

If you ask any member of the women’s basketball team about Steulke, they will just add to the high hopes that the product from neighboring Cedar Rapids has garnered.

Head coach Jan Jensen, a longstanding assistant, remarked, “We have high expectations for her.”

A mural of Hawkeye players may be seen in the middle of the video room at Iowa. Caitlin Clark, an All-American senior outstanding guard, is the focal point of the painting. Stuelke is splitting center with Clark. It’s another sign of how people close to Stuelke see the player’s development.

Stuelke was the Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year as a freshman, and her potential made many excited about what lay ahead for her. Stuelke, who is already a starter, will play a bigger part for the Hawkeyes this season. She will be a vital component of the No. 3 Iowa squad that plays No. 8 Virginia Tech on Thursday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN2) in an attempt to win the national title again.

Speaking with Stuelke reveals a player who is prepared for every situation, for the current season as well as future ones. In the words of another Iowa staff member, “she’s up next.”

Harmon remarked, “She has high hopes.” She observes what Caitlin Clark has accomplished in this situation. She is aware that Caitlin will leave this program at some point in the future, and she is excited about the prospect of taking over as its anchor.

The process of choosing the college where they’ll continue their basketball career usually involves many campus visits, a series of online graphics that gradually narrow down their options to a few colleges, and a dash of suspenseful anticipation for many top-50 high school prospects. For Stuelke, such was not the case.

Growing up, Stuelke was a devoted Hawkeye, with her family frequently going to basketball games where she saw her home team’s stars, including All-Americans Megan Gustafson and Kathleen Doyle, as well as Tania Davis. When Stuelke was in the seventh grade, schools started showing interest in her, but she was set on one.

She was shocked to learn that Iowa was offering Stuelke a seventh-grade position. In the spring of her first year of high school, she committed to Iowa.

As a senior, Stuelke won the title of Iowa Miss Basketball. “Your dreams become reality,” she stated. “I find staying at home to be really cool.”