Iowa Wolves
NBA G League team based in Des Moines, Iowa.
The Iowa Wolves are a professional basketball team in the NBA G League, based in Des Moines, Iowa, and serve as the minor league affiliate of the Minnesota Timberwolves. They play their home games at the Casey's Center and are part of the Western Conference. Before being bought and rebranded by the Timberwolves in 2017, the franchise was known as the Iowa Energy and competed in the NBA Development League (D-League) from 2007.
The team was established on February 27, 2007, when the D-League awarded an expansion franchise to Des Moines as one of four new teams for the 2007–08 season. Local ownership group Iowa Basketball, LLC, led by attorney Jerry Crawford and including Gary Kirke, Sheldon Ohringer, Paul Drey, Michael Richards, and Bruce Rastetter, owned and operated the club. The team played at the Casey's Center, part of the Iowa Events Center. Former University of Northern Iowa player Nick Nurse was hired as the first head coach.
A naming contest initially offered the choices Corncobs, Maize, River Rats, Scarecrows, and Thoroughbreds. On June 29, 2007, the owners announced the name Iowa Energy, with team colors of purple, orange, and red, and a logo featuring an orange basketball above the word "energy." The Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat were the team's original NBA affiliates.
The Energy built their roster through the 2007 D-League expansion draft on September 5, 2007, and the 2007 D-League Draft on November 1, 2007. Their first game on November 23, 2007, resulted in a 101–99 win over the defending champion Dakota Wizards. Their inaugural home game on November 26, 2007, at Wells Fargo Arena drew a league-record crowd of 8,842 fans, and they defeated the Albuquerque Thunderbirds 101–98. The Energy finished the season with a 22–28 record, third in the Central Division, and missed the playoffs.
For the 2008–09 season, the Energy’s NBA affiliates became the Bulls and the Phoenix Suns, replacing the Heat. The team improved to a 28–22 record, winning the Central Division and earning the third seed. They lost 114–109 at home to the Dakota Wizards in the first round. Center Courtney Sims averaged 22.8 points and 11.0 rebounds per game, winning the D-League Most Valuable Player Award, and earned 10-day contracts with the Suns and New York Knicks. Guard Othyus Jeffers, a third-round pick in the 2008 D-League Draft, was named Rookie of the Year.
Quick Facts
- Founded
- 2007
- History
- Iowa Energy / 2007–2017 / Iowa Wolves / 2017–present
- Conference
- Western
- League
- NBA G League
- Arena
- Casey's Center
- Location
- Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.
- Coach
- Mahmoud Abdelfattah
- Owner
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- League Champs
- 1 (2011)
- Div Champs
- 4 (2009, 2010, 2011, 2014)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The franchise began when the D-League awarded an expansion team to Des Moines on February 27, 2007, as one of four expansion teams for the 2007–08 season. Owned by Iowa Basketball, LLC, the team was initially named the Iowa Energy after a naming contest. Their first head coach was former Northern Iowa player Nick Nurse. The Energy played their inaugural home game on November 26, 2007, defeating the Albuquerque Thunderbirds 101–98 before a league-record crowd of 8,842 fans.
In the 2010–11 season, the Energy matched their previous season's 37 wins and clinched the first seed. After defeating the Utah Flash and Tulsa 66ers in the playoffs, they faced the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the D-League Finals. Led by Curtis Stinson's triple-double, the Energy won Game 1 123–106. The Vipers won Game 2, which set a new league attendance record of 14,036 fans at the Casey's Center. In Game 3, despite Stinson's injury, the Energy outscored the Vipers 38–23 in the fourth quarter to win the championship.
On January 23, 2017, the Minnesota Timberwolves announced they would purchase the Energy, finalizing the deal on May 3, 2017. The team rebranded to the Iowa Wolves on May 30, 2017, adopting new colors and logos.
Reader's Guide
The Iowa Wolves franchise, originally the Iowa Energy, holds significance as a successful D-League/G League organization that set attendance records and won a championship. Their 2011 title run, featuring Curtis Stinson's triple-doubles and a record crowd of 14,036, demonstrated the league's growing popularity in Des Moines. The team's evolution from an independent expansion club to a hybrid affiliate with the Memphis Grizzlies and finally a fully owned affiliate of the Minnesota Timberwolves reflects broader trends in minor-league basketball ownership and player development. The franchise produced notable NBA talent, including Courtney Sims (D-League MVP in 2009) and Othyus Jeffers (Rookie of the Year in 2009 and co-MVP in 2014). The rebranding to the Iowa Wolves in 2017 aligned the team with its NBA parent club, solidifying its role in the Timberwolves' player pipeline.
Did You Know?
- The Iowa Energy set the D-League attendance record in their first home game with 8,842 fans.
- They broke their own attendance record in Game 2 of the 2011 D-League Finals with 14,036 fans.
- The team was originally named the Iowa Energy after a naming contest that included options like Corncobs, Maize, and River Rats.
- Curtis Stinson recorded triple-doubles in both Games 1 and 2 of the 2011 D-League Finals.
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