Two Upcoming Iowa Women’s Basketball Games Canceled or Postponed
UPDATE: CBS 2 reported on Wednesday, December 29, that the Sunday women's basketball game between Iowa and Illinois on January 2 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena will be postponed. It is due to COVID-19 issues within the program at Illinois and the second change to the Iowa women's schedule this week. A rescheduled date has not yet been announced. Iowa's next game will now be January 6 against Northwestern in Iowa City at 6 p.m.
The next game for the Iowa Hawkeye women's basketball team will come a little later than expected.
The team's holiday break has been extended after this Thursday's game on December 30 has been canceled due to positive COVID-19 tests within the Penn State basketball program, their scheduled opponents for Thursday.
According to KCRG, the decision was made "as part of the protocols established by the Big Ten Conference and Penn State Athletics medical staff, and in consultation with university, local and national officials and guidelines."
Earlier this season, the Iowa women were forced into a two-week break that postponed the milestone 800th career win of Iowa coach Lisa Bluder because of a COVID outbreak of their own. She did not get the 800th win in that game against Duke, but would in the next contest with a victory over Michigan State.
The University of Northern Iowa men have had a second consecutive game canceled and other sports are being ravaged by COVID-19 issues as well, as the Sporting News lists at least four college football bowl games that have been canceled since December 24, including three that were scheduled this week. They are:
- Dec. 24: Hawai'i Bowl — Hawai'i vs. Memphis
- Dec. 27: Military Bowl — Boston College vs. East Carolina
- Dec. 28: Holiday Bowl-UCLA vs. North Carolina State
- Dec. 29: Fenway Bowl — Virginia vs. SMU
- Dec. 31: Arizona Bowl — Boise State vs. Central Michigan
Rutgers replaced Texas A & M in this season's Gator Bowl against Wake Forest, because of an outbreak in the Aggies' program.
Meanwhile, that next game up for the Iowa women's basketball team is Sunday, January 2 against Illinois at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The game will be on the Big Ten Plus app.