Iowa Basketball’s Megan Gustafson and Peter Jok to Shine at 2024 Olympics

Former Iowa basketball stars Megan Gustafson and Peter Jok made an impression on the world’s biggest sports stage this past weekend.

The ex-Hawkeyes played for Spain and South Sudan respectively, helping their basketball teams to victories in their first games of Olympic competition. They were both integral to the victories and should continue to be important factors in the tournaments.

This is their performance:

More: These are the athletes with Iowa connections competing in the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games

Megan Gustafson dominates in Spain OT win over China

The Iowa women’s basketball legend and current star for the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces reminded everyone why she was such a dominant force during her college career.

During Spain’s 90-89 overtime win over China on Sunday, Gustafson was the star player in the stats with a team-high 29 points on 14-of-21 shooting, eight rebounds, four steals and two blocks in 40 minutes.

Her performance helped Spain come back after trailing by eight points at the end of the first quarter and six at the start of the fourth.

You can watch Gustafson and Spain take on Puerto Rico on Wednesday at 4pm CT on Peacock.

Peter Jok gives South Sudan a boost with win over Puerto Rico

Although not the focal point of his team like Gustafson, Jok’s key contributions as a substitute in South Sudan’s 90-79 win over Puerto Rico last Sunday were crucial to his team’s comeback.

The former Hawkeye scored 11 points with a team-high three triples and six rebounds in 22 minutes as a reserve. His long-range shooting bolstered a South Sudanese group that was otherwise just 7-of-25 (28%) from behind the arc.

You can watch Jok and South Sudan take on Team USA on Wednesday at 2pm CT on USA Network.

Gus Martin is a Digital Producer/Content Director for The Des Moines Register. Follow him at X on @GusMartin_DMR.