Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark (22) arrives for the NCAA Tournament championship basketball game at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, Sunday, April 7, 2024 in Cleveland. Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Iowa Freshman Draws Caitlin Clark Comparisons

Originally posted on Iowa Hawkeyes on SI
By Jordon Lawrenz | Last updated Jan 16, 2026 10:30 AM ET

When it comes to leaving a mark on the B1G and Iowa Hawkeyes basketball, look no further than Caitlin Clark.

That said, Iowa freshman Addie Deal recently dropped a career high 18 points against Oregon.

Iowa improved to 15-2 (6-0) on the season as Deal matched Hannah Stuelke's 18 points on the night. Even though she was tied for the game's highest point total, Deal dropped the most points by an Iowa freshman against a B1G opponent since Clark did so in 2021.

For what it's worth, it took Clark until the Big Ten Tournament final to do so against Maryland. Anytime someone can be in the same company as Clark, they're clearly doing something right.

Addie Deal In The Same Company As Caitlin Clark

Addie Deal's 18 points are the most by an Iowa freshman vs. a B1G opponent since Caitlin Clark vs. Maryland in the 2021 Big Ten Tournament final. https://t.co/JinjAOSZBk
— Chad Leistikow (@ChadLeistikow) January 16, 2026

Deal has dropped double digits four times now this season, but none of those games have seen her as impactful as this one. Iowa, fresh off a tough two game road-stand, returned to Carver to pick up their fifth straight win.

Even though No. 11 Iowa never trailed in the game, it ended up being decided by just eight points. Deal's 18 were a huge part of the reason they were so successful as she continues to find herself off the bench.

Second year head coach Jan Jensen may not plan on starting Deal anytime soon, but that doesn't mean she can't make her mark on this team. Deal continues to get big-time minutes off the bench, and she made sure to put them to use against the Ducks.

The Real Deal

ADDIE. DEAL.

A career-high 18 points for the freshman! @deal_addie x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/6P1unpEZQt
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) January 16, 2026

For just the fourth time this season, Deal saw 20+ minutes in a game. Her career high sits at 31 against Western Illinois. Coincidentally, that just so happened to be the game where she set her previous career high with 17 points.

Now, Deal's career high sits at 18 after she drilled all four of her three point attempts. Other than making her lone attempt against Penn State on December 28, this marks the first time Deal was perfect from three point range in her young career.

The sky truly is the limit with the 6' freshman out of California, and being in the same conversation as Clark proves exactly where she could be in terms of Hawkeyes history, should she choose to stick around the entirety of her career.

Jensen knows this is a young, hungry Iowa team. Soon enough, Deal will be a starter and could hit double digits on a nightly basis. For now, she's perfect in her role and will continue to be a team-player for the remainder of the season.

This article first appeared on Iowa Hawkeyes on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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