The Cy-Hawk game always means a lot. But this year, the game meant a little bit more.
Both teams entered Hilton Coliseum with undefeated records and top-15 rankings. However, it was the Hawkeyes who left the arena with their first loss of the season, dropping them to 9-1. The 74-69 loss to the Cyclones taught us a lot about this Iowa women’s basketball team, on both the positive and negative sides of things. The Hawkeyes battled late, but ultimately fell short to their in-state rivals.
Advertisement
Some players didn’t shy away from the limelight. Others had an off-night. But what did this Cy-Hawk defeat reveal about the Hawkeyes? Here are the biggest takeaways from Iowa’s tough road loss at Iowa State.
Chit-Chat Wright shines
Iowa Hawkeyes guard Chazadi ‘Chit-Chat’ Wright (11) drives with the ball around Iowa State Cyclones’ guard Reagan Wilson (22)during the first quarter in the NCAA women’s basketball Cy-Hawk Series on Dec. 10, 2025, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.
On a night when a lot of the Hawkeyes struggled to find offensive consistency, Chit-Chat Wright was a shining light. The sophomore guard erupted for a career-high 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field and 4-for-9 from behind the arc. It seemed like every time Iowa State got the crowd fired up, Wright had an answer on the other end to quiet them.
Wright has been in and out of the lineup with injuries this season, but she showed her value for this squad on Wednesday night. This season is the first time this decade that Iowa doesn’t have a go-to guard who can take over the game offensively and carry the team to victory.
Advertisement
While it’s unfair to expect Wright to play like Caitlin Clark or even Lucy Olsen, this game showed that she can be a primary scorer for this team when need be. And on nights when the rest of the roster is going, Iowa will win a lot of games. Wright was a huge bright spot in an otherwise disappointing night for the Hawks.
Third quarter dooms the Hawkeyes
Iowa Hawkeyes women’ basketball head coach Jan Jensen reacts during the second quarter against Iowa State in the NCAA women’s basketball Cy-Hawk Series on Dec. 10, 2025, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.
It was a tightly-contested first half in Ames, leading to a 35-35 tie after the opening 20 minutes. When the two teams emerged from the locker room to start the third quarter, things went off the rails for the Hawkeyes. Iowa didn’t score in the opening 2:48 of the quarter, and only mustered three field goals in the first nine minutes of the third. The Hawkeyes were outscored, 26-13, in the third quarter, and a halftime tie turned into a 13-point deficit quickly.
Advertisement
Iowa won the first and fourth quarters of play, and just narrowly lost the second quarter. For 30 minutes, you could argue Iowa was the better team, but basketball is a 40-minute game for a reason. That disastrous third quarter put Iowa too far behind the eight ball, and they fell short after a furious fourth-quarter rally. Iowa needs to work on finding a more consistent half-court offense in these types of games.
Iowa’s bigs got outplayed
Dec 10, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones Addy Brown (24) defends Iowa Hawkeyes Hannah Stuelke (45) during there first half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images
Coming into the night, the five-star matchup in this game was the post players for both teams. Iowa State has a pair of All-American candidates in Audi Crooks and Addy Brown in the post, while the Hawkeyes countered with Hannah Stuelke and Ava Heiden, who had both been playing some good basketball this season. It was the Cyclones’ bigs who got the best of that matchup on Wednesday night.
Advertisement
Crooks and Brown combined for 50 points and 22 rebounds on 20-for-31 shooting from the field. Stuelke and Heiden both fouled out of the game in the fourth and combined for 18 points and 17 rebounds on 9-of-21 shooting from the field.
It was a tough matchup for that duo, and they both struggled to find a rhythm all night long. They’ll be fine down the road, and this was a great learning moment for Heiden, but it’s still tough to see in the moment. Expect Stuelke and Heiden to bounce back for the Hawkeyes.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Zach on X: @zach_hiney
This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Takeaways from Iowa women’s basketball Cy-Hawk loss