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97 T here were positives throughout the season for the Hawkeye women's basketball team. It won eight of the first nine contests, recorded a fourth consecutive win against Nebraska, and opened the Big Ten Tournament with a victory over Michigan. Junior forward Ally Disterho scored her 1,000th career point, earned second-team All-Big Ten honors for a second consecutive year, and garnered Academic All-America of the Year recognition. Point guard Tania Davis was one of two freshmen in the conference to lead her team in assists and steals and was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team. Center Megan Gustafson, the only freshman and one of three players in the conference to lead her team in field goal percentage, rebounds, and blocks this season, posted double-doubles in nine of the last 13 games and joined Davis on the All- Big Ten Freshman Team. But when the University of Iowa women's basketball team didn't hear its name called in the field of 64 for the 2016 NCAA Tournament — ending its eight-year streak —it was a tough pill to swallow. "It's a tough situation, we know we were one of the last four teams le out and maybe the last team le out of the NCAA Tournament," UI head coach Lisa Bluder said. "We weren't confident, but we were hopeful and cautiously optimistic going into the Selection Show. We were right there, we were on the table and we were talked about. "We want this to hurt a little bit (for our players). We want them to understand that this is what could have been. We want them to use that as motivation over the next four months and through the summer to get prepared for next year. You want it to sink in." e message has already sunk in for the Hawkeyes, who have turned disappointment into motivation. "When we saw our name wasn't called we were disappointed," Disterho said. "Being one of the last four out is going to be motivation. e rest of the time I'm here at Iowa, that is my motivation. I printed off the picture of us in the last four graphic because it's hard to see. But I'm going to remember what that felt like and it's going to motivate me." Iowa returns four starters and nine letterwinners from 2015-16. e Hawkeyes also welcome their 18th-ranked incoming freshman class of Bre Cera (Mukwonago, Wisconsin), Makenzie Meyer (Mason City, Iowa), Amanda Ollinger (Cedar Rapids, Iowa), and Alexis Sevillian (Goodrich, Michigan). All earned first team all-state honorees this year and Meyer was named Iowa Miss Basketball. "e future looks bright for our program," Bluder said. "We'll have eight freshmen and sophomores on our team, and we have to figure out where our leadership's going to come from next year. "I still thought we could make the NCAA Tournament. I really believed it, and I believe it can happen again next year."