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On Saturday afternoon at the Women's Champions Classic in Brooklyn, New York, the Iowa Hawkeyes lost to the UConn Huskies, 90-64. Even though it was a loss, it marked another learning opportunity for second-year Iowa head coach Jan Jensen -- one of many since taking over for the legendary Lisa Bluder in 2024.

Jensen still gets drinks with Bluder and longtime Iowa assistant Jenni Fitzgerald once in a while. They are no longer part of the Hawkeyes staff, but their presence means a lot to Jensen.

"They're just great best friends, confidants," Jensen told CBS Sports. "Very excited when we get big wins. Live it with you if we come up short, but very present. Always have a listening ear… You learn in those CEO chairs, right? There is a whole different process. You gather all this information, but at the end of the day there are only a few people who have sat in those chairs."

The trio coached together for three decades at Drake and Iowa. Bluder and Fitzgerald retired last year and Jensen entered a new chapter by herself. She had a tough act to follow because Bluder's last two years as head coach were the peak of the Caitlin Clark Era, which saw back-to-back trips to the national championship. 

Jensen had to rebuild, but she managed to lead Iowa to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in her first year as head coach.

She said the chair in her office feels more comfortable now, literally and figuratively. Despite only returning two starters from last season, the 10-2 Hawkeyes have climbed up to No. 11 in the AP Top 25 rankings. 

"You know what to expect as best as you can as far as how the job feels," Jensen said. "I've felt a little bit more confident in the role. Not overconfident in what success we may or may not have. It's just nice when you get that year of experience. It's like, 'Phew, I made it.' "

The Hawkeyes got a statement win over then-No. 7 Baylor in November, the biggest win in the Jensen era so far. In addition to their loss to UConn, Iowa fell to No. 10 Iowa State in December, but both of those games provided the Hawkeyes with some valuable experience. Although Iowa has not been considered the team to beat in the Big Ten since Clark left, Jensen likes how her team is developing and feels they have a chance at making some noise during conference play.

As the Hawkeyes continue to improve, Jensen is just grateful for all the support she has received. Clark has not yet made it to a game this season, but she has been another one of Jensen's cheerleaders.

"She texts big games, win, lose, draw," the coach said. "That kid, she's with me and I think she knows that I'm with her."

Controversial fouls? Yep, Clark is very passionate about the game and will definitely discuss those with Jensen. But another subject they text about is how impressed Clark is with sophomore Chazadi "Chit-Chat" Wright. 

"She really loves Chit-Chat's play. She thinks she is really fun," Jensen said. "She texts me about her sometimes. I think she likes our young kids."

Sometimes they also just text about life. Jensen has been grateful for her relationship with Bluder and Fitzgerald through her coaching journey, and she is excited to also be there for Clark as she continues to grow in the WNBA.

"With her I think that's really important too, the reciprocation," Jensen added. "She's got a lot of people that are for her and so forth, but she's got a really close circle. And she's got some of us who know will be there through it all."

The Hawkeyes will be back on the court on Dec. 28 as they host Big Ten opponent Penn State.