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The Iowa Wolves are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Des Moines, Iowa, and are affiliated with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves play their home games at the Casey's Center and compete in the Western Conference of the NBA G League. From 2007 to 2017, the team was known as the Iowa Energy in the NBA Development League (D-League) until being purchased and renamed by the Timberwolves. They broke the D-league attendance record on their first home game with 8,842 fans. They later set the record again in game two of the 2011 D-League Finals with an attendance of 14,036 fans. They won the 2011 D-League Finals, defeating the Rio Grande Valley Vipers two-games-to-one.
The team initially held a naming contest for the team. The choices listed on their website were Corncobs, Maize, River Rats, Scarecrows, and Thoroughbreds. However, on June 29, 2007, the owners announced the name Iowa Energy, along with team colors and logos. The team logo was an orange basketball above the word "energy" and the team colors are purple, orange and red. Two NBA teams, the Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat, were announced as the team's NBA affiliates.
Before the 2008–09 season, the league announced that the Energy would be affiliated with the Bulls and the Phoenix Suns. The Suns, who was previously affiliated with the Albuquerque Thunderbirds, replaced the Heat, which would be affiliated with the Thunderbirds. The Energy improved their performance and finished the season with the best record in the Central Division with 28 wins and 22 losses. They were seeded third for the playoffs and were paired with the Dakota Wizards in the First Round. However, they were defeated by the Wizards at home with a 109–114 loss.
Energy center Courtney Sims, who averaged 22.8 points and 11.0 rebounds per game, won the D-League Most Valuable Player Award. He also earned multiple call-ups to the NBA, signing a pair of 10-day contracts with the Phoenix Suns and the New York Knicks. Guard Othyus Jeffers, who was selected in the third round of the 2008 D-League Draft by the Energy, was named as the Rookie of the Year Award. Sims was named in the All-NBA D-League First Team while Energy first-round draftee Cartier Martin was named in the All-NBA D-League Third Team. Both Sims and Martin received call-ups to the NBA and were forced to miss the Energy's playoff games.
The Energy were reassigned to the Eastern Conference for the 2009–10 season as the league realigned itself to two conferences. Despite losing former MVP Courtney Sims to overseas, the Energy improved their regular season record. They won the Eastern Conference with 37 wins, which was also the best record in the league. As one of the top three seeds, the Energy had the rights to choose their opponents in the first round of the playoffs. They chose to face the seventh seed Utah Flash of the Western Conference. They lost the first game of the series before they bounced back with two straight wins to advance to the semifinals. In the semifinals, the Energy faced the eighth seed Tulsa 66ers, who eliminated the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the first round. The Energy defeated the 66ers 107–102 in the first game at Tulsa. However, the 66ers won the second game at Des Moines to even the series. In the decisive Game 3, the Energy lost 122–127 at home and were eliminated from the playoffs.
The Energy faced the third seed Rio Grande Valley Vipers, who defeated the second seed Reno Bighorns in the semifinals. The Energy, led by Curtis Stinson's triple-double, won the first game 123–106 at Hidalgo. Stinson scored 29 points along with 10 rebounds and 10 assists, while five other Energy players scored in double figures. The Vipers won the second game 141–122 despite Stinson's second straight triple-double. That second game at the Casey’s Center was attended by a new league-record attendance of 14,036 fans. In the decisive Game 3, Stinson suffered an injury that limited his playing time. The Energy trailed the Vipers by seven points after three quarters, but managed to outscore the Vipers 38–23 in the fourth quarter to clinch the D-League championship. Guard Stefhon Hannah led the Energy with 31 points, while five other Energy players scored in double figures.
Stinson, who averaged 19.3 points, 9.8 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game, was named as the D-League Most Valuable Player Award. Stinson and former Rookie of the Year Othyus Jeffers were named in the All-NBA D-League Team. Two Energy stars, Jeffers and former MVP Courtney Sims, both missed the Energy's playoff games. Jeffers received a call-up to the Washington Wizards and signed a contract for the remainder of the season, while Sims left the team to play in China.
For the 2012–13 season, Energy added the Denver Nuggets as an affiliate in addition to the existing affiliations with the Bulls, Hornets, and Wizards. Young was fired in January 2013, replaced by Bruce Wilson on an interim basis.
The Minnesota Timberwolves were added as an affiliate for the 2013–14 season, Iowa Energy to be Minnesota Timberwolves 2013-14 NBA D-League Affiliate while Nate Bjorkgren as the franchise's new head coach. IOWA ENERGY NAME NATE BJORKGREN HEAD COACH Led by Othyus Jeffers, who was co-Most Valuable Player of the season along with Ron Howard, the Energy won its second Central Division title and fourth Division/Conference title overall, but fell to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the playoffs.
| Iowa Energy | |||||||||
| Lost First Round to Dakota Wizards, 109–114 | |||||||||
| Won First Round vs. Utah Flash, 2–1 Lost Semifinals to Tulsa 66ers, 1–2 | |||||||||
| Won First Round vs. Utah Flash, 2–1 Won Semifinals vs. Tulsa 66ers, 2–0 Won D-League Finals vs. Rio Grande Valley Vipers, 2–1 | |||||||||
| Lost First Round to Los Angeles D-Fenders, 0–2 | |||||||||
| Lost First Round to Rio Grande Valley Vipers, 1–2 | |||||||||
| Iowa Wolves | |||||||||
| Season cancelled by COVID-19 pandemic | |||||||||
| D-League Championship: 2011 Dennis Johnson Coach of the Year Award: 2011 NBA D-League All-Star Game coach: 2009, 2010, 2011 |
| NBA D-League All-Star Game coach: 2012 |
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