Iowa City continues to attract top women's basketball talent. Due to superstar Caitlin Clark's popularity and the program's recent success, Iowa has become a women's college basketball hub.
Clark brought new fans and enhanced viewership to the Iowa program as she led the Hawkeyes to four consecutive NCAA Tournament berths, including back-to-back championship game appearances (2023, 2024).
Before Clark's arrival in Iowa City, star center Megan Gustafson enhanced the program's popularity but did not have as polarizing an impact as Clark.
Coupled with the leadership of long-time Head Coach Lisa Bluder, the Hawkeyes were always a team to be reckoned with.
The 2025 recruiting class reflects that popularity as the Hawkeyes added three talented players, including five-star prospect Addie Deal and four-star prospects Journey Houston and Layla Hays.
As the Hawkeyes continue to attract top talent, more prospects have Iowa at the top of their list. On Friday, a five-star guard prospect from California narrowed her college choices to four, with Iowa making the list.
BREAKING: Elite 2026 recruit McKenna Woliczko has narrowed to 4 finalists, she told @On3sports.
— Talia Goodman (@TaliaGoodmanWBB) June 12, 2025
Finalists: Iowa, USC, South Carolina, Ohio State
She broke down each program and two planned official visits.
READ (On3+): https://t.co/VP5RB1SArQ pic.twitter.com/7WIrB3ZMKn
Star guard and 2026 five-star prospect, McKenna Woliczko, has the Hawkeyes on her list of top destinations. Woliczko is a star for Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, California, and for Team USA.
She averaged 20-plus points and 10-plus rebounds in her freshman and sophomore seasons, and averaged bigger numbers last season before suffering an ACL injury.
Woliczko also guided Team USA to a pair of gold medals in the FIBA Games the last two summers.
Woliczko, a six-foot-two shooting guard from Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, California, is rated as one of the top prospects in the 2026 recruiting class.
On3 Sports ranked Woliczko as a five-star prospect, California's No. 2 prospect, and the No. 6 overall prospect in the 2026 recruiting class.