By RICHIE HALL
It seems as if everywhere Tomi Taiwo goes, she’s part of a successful team.
Taiwo helped Carmel High School to sectional championships during her junior and senior years. Now, she just completed her sophomore year at the University of Iowa, and is doing her part to help the Hawkeyes to winning seasons and the continuation of a long home win streak.
Taiwo played in 27 of Iowa’s 30 games this past season, coming off the bench in each game. But she made all of her minutes count.
“My role on this year’s Iowa team was to help in whatever way I could whenever I was on the court,” said Taiwo. “Whether that was knocking down a 3, defending one of the other team’s best players, attacking the basket, or uplifting one of my teammates.”
Taiwo’s best game of the year came when the Hawkeyes played at in-state rival Iowa State. She made all three of her 3-point attempts to score nine points, a career-high total. Iowa won the game 75-69, so Taiwo’s points indeed made a difference. She also scored eight points during the Hawkeyes’ New Year’s Eve win over Illinois.
During her freshman season, Taiwo played in 19 of Iowa’s 36 games. That year the Hawkeyes won the Big Ten tournament and also made a deep run in the NCAA tournament, making it to the Elite Eight for the first time in 26 years.
Eighth-ranked Iowa beat No. 10 North Carolina State in the Sweet 16 game before falling to eventual national champion Baylor in the final of the Greensboro regional. Taiwo got to play briefly in both of those games. During the regular season, Taiwo scored six points in two different games; she combined that with four assists during the Hawkeyes’ early-season win over North Carolina Central University.
“The transition from freshman year in college to sophomore year is big in terms of one’s mindset and body altogether,” said Taiwo. “I think that as a freshman, you are just starting to play in a whole different pace of basketball but once you are a sophomore, you now understand what that pace truly is and now you are just trying to perfect your craft and help your team in any way possible.”
The Hawkeyes had a great season, finishing 23-7 overall and 14-4 in Big Ten play. Iowa was seeded third at the Big Ten Tournament, played at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, but was upset in the quarter-finals by Ohio State. Nevertheless, the Hawkeyes were expecting a NCAA tournament bid before the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I attribute the success of the team to our strong chemistry and ability to be unselfish during the games,” said Taiwo. “Our chemistry is so strong that even when we are not playing basketball, we still find ourselves hanging out with one another or spending time watching other basketball games on television together to learn from other team’s mistakes.”
Iowa hasn’t made many mistakes at its home arena over the past couple years. In fact, the Hawkeyes just finished their second consecutive season of going undefeated at home. The last time Iowa lost at Carver Hawkeye Arena was Jan. 28, 2018; since then, Iowa has won 35 straight home games.
“It is surreal to be a part of something like this,” said Taiwo. “To be one of the few women’s college basketball teams in the nation to be able to hold a streak like this, is something that we can really thank the fans for because they are truly the best fans in the country. Playing in Carver Hawkeye Arena is an environment like no other. The sensation that runs through one’s body as they first step on that court to play a game is unreal.”
Off the court, Taiwo is a Pre-Med major.
“Being a Pre-Med major truly helps because it challenges me to be my best both on and off the court,” she said. “It is going well, I am aspiring to be a primary physician doctor because I want to help others medically while being able to have a special bond with my future patients.”