Iowa HC Jan Jensen sends encouraging message as Hannah Stuelke gears up for FIBA AmeriCup knockouts

Hannah Stuelke and Team USA are preparing for the quarterfinals of the FIBA AmeriCup. Her college coach, Jan Jensen, conveyed a message of encouragement. Having clinched the top spot in Group B, the United States will face the Dominican Republic on Friday.

Stuelke, a rising junior at Iowa, has seen limited action in the tournament, averaging 5.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per game. But her contributions remain valuable as Team USA pursues its goal of winning gold.

Ahead of the Friday matchup, the Hawkeyes showed their support for Stuelke on X (formerly Twitter), with photos of her donning the USA jersey.

Coach Jensen reposted the Iowa women’s basketball post, adding words of support for the forward.

"Keep it rollin' (Hannah Stuelke)👊🏼 We love watching you & your @usabasketball teammates! Keep working toward that gold medal...knock 'em out tomorrow in the Knockout Round!😜 Go USA! Go Hannah!" she wrote.

Stuelke was a star player for Jan Jensen's Hawkeyes last season, averaging 12.7 ppg and 7.7 rpg. Playing in the AmeriCup this offseason will provide her with valuable experience she can bring back to Iowa for her final year.

Jan Jensen explains position flexibility and Hannah Stuelke's role in rotation

The upcoming season will feature a few fresh faces on Jan Jensen's squad, which may result in position flexibility in the rotation, but the team is going to be carried by veteran Hannah Stuelke.

Jensen met reporters last week to discuss the team's plans for the upcoming season and explained how she wants to handle the lineup and rotation.

"There are a lot of similar positions, but in our offense, the two, three, and four are really similar, Jensen said (Timestamp: 7:16). "When we put a set play in — say, if Hannah's in foul trouble — we can play Teagan (Mallegni), Kylie (Feuerbach) and Taylor at the 2, 3, and 4.

"So there are a lot of different ways to roll. We could even put Ava Heiden at the four if we want to go really big — Ava at the four, Layla Hays at the five. You could put Hannah at the three if you're not calling set plays and then have two bigs ... there's going to be competition for playing time, but that's also a really good thing."

Jan Jensen's first year in charge of the Hawkeyes did not start out as planned, as the team finished 23-11 and made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to Oklahoma.