Some might say the Iowa Hawkeyes haven’t managed to move on and replace Caitlin Clark. The 23-year-old was picked up by the Indiana Fever two years ago and has now become a global icon. However, Head Coach Jan Jensen seems to have found a solution that could see the Hawkeyes become serious contenders in college basketball.

Jensen has currently seen the likes of Ava Heiden, Hannah Stuelke, and Chit-Chat Wright step up and carry most of the load for the team. However, the Iowa Hawkeyes can take the next step with one little change, according to Jan Jensen. The key lies in Chit-Chat Wright’s potential.

Speaking after the win over Penn State, Jensen said,” The beauty of Chit-Chat and the hard thing is she’s such a pass-first point guard, and she loves to defer. If there’s a play that has three options and they’re all for her, she’ll choose every other option before one of those three. It’s a unique battle, and so, I’ve been really working with her and challenged our staff…You see, when she gets going, it really opens everybody else up.”

Chazadi ‘Chit-Chat’ Wright starred in the Hawkeyes’ win over Penn State, pocketing 16 points with 6 assists to her name. And, Jensen believes Chit-Chat can take the Iowa Hawkeyes’ offense to another level if she starts focusing more on shooting rather than being a pass-oriented guard.

Well, twelve of those points came in the opening quarter, where Wright was on fire right out of the gate. She knocked down two three-pointers, hit two shots inside the arc, and calmly sank both of her free throws, all without missing a single attempt. That early scoring surge helped the Hawkeyes jump out to a fast lead.

After the first quarter, her scoring slowed, and others picked up the offensive load. Even so, Wright still ended the night in double figures for the sixth time this season. To put that into perspective, she reached that mark only ten times across all 33 games during her freshman year at Georgia Tech. So, yes, there is, perhaps, some truth to what Jensen is saying.

Also, this isn’t the first time Jensen has stressed this.

“If I get her to score a little bit more, she can score at every level, and it’s fun to watch because she’s just so little and fast,” Jensen said in October, before the season began. “I think you’ll enjoy watching her.”

Drawing a straight comparison with Caitlin Clark, she added, “So I’m trying to get the balance of her to go ahead and force a shot here or there. Yes, I never had to tell that to Caitlin Clark. Caitlin was just going to take it…She gives us a lot of different things. But we’re just missing a little bit of that really more of a presence at the point guard with the voice.”

And Jensen really needs that presence now, as the Iowa Hawkeyes are up for some real tests in the coming weeks. The NCAA Women’s Basketball team currently holds an 11-2 record, with both its losses coming against ranked opponents. Their upcoming stretch features highly ranked teams, including Maryland, USC, UCLA, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Nebraska.

Ava Heiden and Hannah Stuelke are already shouldering the burden on the scoring and rebounding front. Addie Deal also seems to be coming into her own and has been getting more minutes as she grows accustomed to the Hawkeyes’ program. Chit-Chat has an accurate long-range shot in her arsenal. Her performance in the first four games this season and in the recent win over Penn State is proof that the pedigree is there.

If Jensen & co. can successfully convert Chit-Chat into more of an all-rounder and make her rely on her shooting more often, this stretch of games could see the Hawkeyes stake their claim as a fellow contender for trophies.

But what makes it difficult for “Chit-Chat” Wright?

Iowa’s long line of point guards has always shared one thing in common. From Samantha Logic and Kathleen Doyle in the 2010s to Caitlin Clark and Lucy Olsen more recently, they made their presence felt with both their voice and their scoring. Chazadi Wright breaks that mold a bit.

Iowa’s current floor general may carry a nickname that suggests otherwise, but her game is built differently, with passing coming first every time. Part of that can be traced to her quiet personality, but more than anything, Wright genuinely loves setting others up.

“Since I was a little girl, I just loved to come off screens and pass, make the cool pass,” Wright said. “I’d rather pass than shoot or score.”

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That preference has never been about a lack of skill or confidence. When she is not pushing the pace and racking up assists in transition, Wright is more than capable of scoring. She studies the game of WNBA guard Courtney Williams and has learned how to adjust despite being just 5-foot-4.

Now, Jensen has had multiple, detailed conversations with Wright about being more aggressive as a scorer. The message has been clear, even if it does not come naturally to her.

“She does want me to shoot more,” Wright said. “I’ve had meetings with her. She wants me to be a little but selfish, and that’s just not in my game.”

So, why the nickname? Well, as Jensen once explained, “Her name, ironically, they call her Chit-Chat, but it’s because she’s quiet,” Jensen said.

Still, Wright is starting to adjust as the coaching staff continues to push her. What some players might see as pressure, Chazadi “Chit-Chat” Wright views as an opportunity.

Her teammates are helping too. Kylie Feuerbach, in particular, has taken it upon herself to give Wright a not-so-subtle nudge when it is time to shoot.

“We kind of joke around about it. She’s a humorous gal, so she kind of gets the jokes, but she also knows that we’re being completely serious,” Feuerbach said. “Just embracing that and continuing to harp on shooting the ball because we know she’s going to make it.”

Wright’s versatility already runs deep, and as she continues to grow into her role, there is a strong sense that even more layers of her game are still waiting to be unlocked.