Iowa women's basketball schedule features tough finishing stretch in Big Ten play

IOWA CITY, Ia. — Iowa women's basketball has released its full 2021-22 schedule.

The Hawkeyes' finishing stretch in the Big Ten slate stands out the most. 

It's what was highlighted on Big Ten Network's schedule reveal show when Iowa's slate came up on Wednesday. The Hawkeyes return every starter, boast a national player of the year candidate in Caitlin Clark and should be in the top-10 range when preseason polls are revealed.

The tough stretch starts in February. In that month, the Hawkeyes will play at Michigan (Feb. 6), host Maryland (Feb. 14), go to Indiana (Feb. 20), travel to Rutgers (Feb. 24) and host Michigan (Feb. 27). All four of those opponents earned a No. 6 seed or better in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, and are expected to be solid again this year.  

Games against Northern Iowa (Nov. 14), Drake (Nov. 21), Seton Hall (Nov. 25) and Duke (Nov. 26) headline the nonconference portion of the schedule.

More:Iowa women's basketball: Hawkeyes release 2021 non-conference schedule

A look at the Iowa women's basketball schedule for the 2021-22 season

Nov. 4: vs. Truman State (exhibition) 

Nov. 9: vs. New Hampshire

Nov. 11: vs. Samford

Nov. 14: at Northern Iowa

Nov. 17: vs. Southern University

Nov. 21: vs. Drake 

Nov. 25: vs. Seton Hall (Cancun Challenge, Riviera Maya, Mexico)

Nov. 26: vs. USC (Cancun Challenge, Riviera Maya, Mexico) 

Dec. 2: at Duke (Big Ten/ACC Challenge)

Dec. 5: Michigan State

Dec. 8: at Iowa State 

Dec. 18: vs. Central Florida

Dec. 21: vs. IUPUI

Dec. 30: at Penn State

Jan. 2: Illinois

Jan. 6: Northwestern

Jan. 9: at Nebraska

Jan. 13: at Purdue

Jan. 16: Nebraska

Jan. 20: at Minnesota

Jan. 23: Indiana

Jan. 27: at Northwestern

Jan. 31: Ohio State

Feb. 3: at Wisconsin

Feb. 6: at Michigan

Feb. 10: Minnesota

Feb. 14: Maryland

Feb. 20: at Indiana

Feb. 24: at Rutgers

Feb. 27: Michigan

More:Leistikow: With an eye on the Final Four, Caitlin Clark's Iowa story is just beginning

Dargan Southard covers Iowa and UNI athletics, recruiting and preps for the Des Moines Register, HawkCentral.com and the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.