The Nittany Lions went from unranked to No. 14 in this week's ESPN college basketball power rankings.
"I knew that we were capable of playing without them, and I knew I had to come and definitely try to be a little more aggressive."
Kamaria McDaniel's 21 points were not enough to overpower Wisconsin, and the Lady Lions fell to 0-3 in Big Ten play.
The Nittany Lions escaped Iowa in a barn burner at a humid Palestra gym.
Dambach will join head coach Vlatko Andonovski's technical staff as the USWNT approaches its January camp.
Sam Sternschein's two-point effort and a strong defensive performance helped the Nittany Lions drop the puck on the new decade with a non-conference win.