HAWK CENTRAL

Iowa women's basketball players Tomi Taiwo, Logan Cook enter transfer portal

Dargan Southard
Hawk Central

With one year of eligibility remaining for both, Iowa women's basketball players Tomi Taiwo and Logan Cook will finish their college careers elsewhere. 

Both Taiwo and Cook have entered the transfer portal, the Register learned Friday. This is merely a formality and nothing shocking, as Hawkeyes coach Lisa Bluder had previously announced that Taiwo and Cook would not return next season. Taiwo and Cook each went through senior day festivities last month.  

Both will be super seniors as a result of the extra year of eligibility granted because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Hawkeyes played with just 13 scholarship players this past season, two short of the maximum 15. But with three incoming freshmen — Hannah Stuelke, Jada Gyamfi and Taylor McCabe — plus Monika Czinano returning for her "super senior" season, there wasn't enough room for both Taiwo and Cook to return.

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Iowa guard Tomi Taiwo smiles after a NCAA Big Ten Conference women's basketball game against Michigan on Feb. 27, 2022, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. She entered the transfer portal on Friday.

Taiwo and Cook were both part of Iowa's 2018 recruiting class. After two seasons outside the main rotation, Taiwo averaged 14.4 minutes and 3.7 points per game last season and 17.4 minutes and 4.6 points per game this season. She had five double-digit scoring games this past year, including a 13-point outing in Iowa's NCAA Tournament win over Illinois State. 

Cook's career took a similar route. Her most productive year in Iowa City was the 2020-21 campaign, where Cook averaged 8.1 minutes and 2.0 points per game while appearing in 22 contests. The former Iowa City West standout made her only career start Jan. 2 in Iowa's 93-56 win over Evansville. Cook spent much of this past year battling injuries   

Iowa forward Logan Cook, right, hugs head coach Lisa Bluder during a NCAA Big Ten Conference women's basketball game against Michigan, on Feb. 27, 2022, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. She entered the transfer portal on Friday.

Dargan Southard covers Iowa and UNI athletics, recruiting and preps for the Des Moines Register, HawkCentral.com and the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.