Q&A with Sycamore grad, Iowa guard Kylie Feuerbach

Now in her third year in Iowa City, Sycamore grad and Iowa guard Kylie Feuerbach feels like she is fully ensconced as a Hawkeye and has formed strong relationships with her coaches and teammates.

And that’s helping her find her role with the team again. After finding her niche two years ago off the bench, she missed an entire season and came back to a different team that had lost a few key pieces from the last time she was on the court. So Feuerbach has put her nose to the grindstone and is figuring out exactly where she fits in again.

The Hawkeyes are hoping to make another deep run in March, and Feuerbach answered a few questions about playing with a talented cast of teammates under the weight of added expectations after last year’s magical season:

What’s it like to play with players of this caliber?

“It makes you better everyday. Even at practices, it’s not like we’re just slacking. Everyday, whoever you go up against, you have to bring it. You have Kate [Martin] who’s a great leader, Caitlin [Clark] who’s just extremely competitive, Gabbie [Marshall] who always has a lot of energy, so everyday it’s not like you can come in and relax and take it easy; you have to go 100% and go at it all the time. I would definitely say that’s one of the most important things for our team is just that we push each other to our fullest potential every practice, and that’s one thing our coaches really want us to do. It’s really fun, I love working hard and getting better, and so does everybody else, so we have fun while we’re doing it, which is another awesome thing about this team.”

Does the team feel the extra pressure that comes with the high expectations after last year?

“We don’t really let the outside noise affect us. We really focus on that tight-knit circle and just controlling what we can control; that’s another thing we really harp on is just doing what we can do to the best of our ability. Wherever we’re at, we just want to keep getting better – so if we weren’t ranked, we want to get there; when we’re ranked, we want to keep getting better and move up; if we’re first in the nation, we’re going to keep working hard to stay there. Nothing changes, and it’s just the recognition you get for it – but we don’t worry about that, either.”

How do you keep from being overwhelmed with all the extra attention on the team this year?

“We’re always around each other, we’re always helping each other. Every player on our team deserves the recognition they get, and everybody understands that, so just staying close with each other and keeping that tight-knit culture that we have is a big key for that.”

What’s a successful season in your eyes?

“It’s obviously a day-by-day work in progress, winning each day. We obviously have goals of winning the Big Ten – regular season and the tournament – and then just keep working hard everyday and getting to where we can. Hopefully it’s the Final Four again, because that’s definitely the ultimate goal of every season.”

Does that focus on the day-to-day help keep the outside noise muted?

“Yes, and that’s something we really talk about is just staying focused on what’s next, what you’re in the moment with and what you have to focus on next to complete the next thing. We really focus on that, and I think our team is really good about just staying in the moment and just focusing on those little things that will build up to big things.”

On coming off the bench:

“It’s a very special environment, and even when I first came in they were always there with open arms and welcoming. Just being able to grow those relationships throughout the years is just very special. I would definitely say that the main thing for me is just being able to make an impact whatever way I can. At the beginning of the season you’re always figuring things out, and I think the coaches have done a great job adjusting players and putting people in the best spots they can play in. It’s a learning experience – every game you grow from it – but I would say I definitely have been pretty happy with where I’m at and just the growth that I’m having. It’s crazy to think that it’s only been three months since I’ve been back, so I have to remember that when I’m hard on myself. I’m very happy with where I’m at, and I’ve just got to keep working and building off of it. The injury was definitely a learning curve for me, and I think there were only positives that ended up coming out of it. It’s a unique experience. It feels so nice just to be able to play again and be on the floor with everyone again. It’s just so awesome to be back.”

On the hardest part of coming back:

“The hardest part was probably when I wasn’t fully cleared yet but I was so close; that time span was crazy. The beginning, the end, everything: by far, the very end was the hardest part for me, that weird little time where you’re so close yet so far because you want to get out there so bad.”