IN VIDEOS: Hannah Stuelke’s Airport Return Turns Emotional as Iowa Teammates Show Up With Heartwarming Surprise

    Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball forward Hannah Stuelke returned home this week from the 2025 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup, where she represented Team USA and won the gold medal.

    Apart from fans and family, the entire Iowa Women’s Basketball family showed up at the airport to welcome, greet and congratulate their star. The Hawkeyes’ official X account shared how the entire welcome went.

    When she arrived at the gate, Stuelke was mobbed by her teammates. American flags were waving as chants and cheers filled the airport. Someone even brought oversized hand props to make the moment playful. Signs like “GOAT” and “You KILLED it, Girl!” stood out. Even Iowa mascot Herky the Hawk made an appearance.

    The video also captured Stuelke showing her gold medal before tears started rolling down.  The Iowa Women’s Basketball team immediately hugged her and celebrated her achievement. All of them even posed for a group photo in the end.

    Here’s the video:


    The video has already garnered over 80,000 views.

    Iowa’s Hannah Stuelke Shines on the International Stage

    Hannah Stuelke’s AmeriCup experience was nothing short of memorable. She helped Team USA claim the gold medal.

    According to FIBA’s official stats, Stuelke averaged 5.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in about 16.7 minutes per game over seven contests. She shot 75.0% from the field and grabbed 1.6 offensive rebounds per game.

    Her best game came in the quarterfinal against the Dominican Republic, where she had 10 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks in just 18 minutes. In the gold medal game against Brazil, she contributed seven points and seven rebounds across 22 minutes, shooting 2-of-2 from the field and 3-of-4 from the line.

    Stuelke and Team USA secured gold, defeating Brazil 92–84 in the final. By winning the AmeriCup, Team USA also booked its spot for next year’s World Cup.

    “What a performance by our team. Knew it would be a tough physical game. It was what we expected,” Team USA head coach Kara Lawson said. “Brazil is a wonderful team. The power they have in the frontcourt gave us some challenges. Our team continued to fight, and we felt like if we could wear down with our depth a little bit maybe in the fourth quarter we could pull away.”

    Stuelke’s next chapter includes taking the leadership role of the Hawkeyes team. With Caitlin Clark and several other program pillars now in the WNBA, Stuelke is expected to be a focal point.

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