Whether it's a renewed focus on the defensive end or the return of senior leader Kylie Feuerbach, the Iowa defense has been suffocating over the past four games.
After nearly blowing a big lead in an 85-78 victory over Maryland in their most recent game, the Hawkeyes are enjoying a seven-game winning streak.
Excluding Iowa's 23-point victory over Penn State, Iowa's margin of victory has been under 10 points, but the most impressive aspect has been Iowa's tenacity on defense.
While the numbers don't jump off the page, the Hawkeyes have kept the opponent's best players in check.
Iowa has stifled its opponents' best players on during its winning streak
Through 19 games this season, the Hawkeyes rank in the middle of the Big Ten Conference in opponents' points per game (No. 11) and point differential (No. 8), but have shut down the star players they have faced over the past 14 quarters.
Over the last 14 quarters, Iowa WBB has held opposing team's primary scorers (Ciezki, Fiso, Blair, Okananwa) to...
— Kyle Huesmann (@HuesmannKyle) January 23, 2026
29 points (8.3 ppg)
10-of-42 (23.8%)
8 assists - 16 turnovers
According to On3 Sports' Kyle Huesmann, the Iowa defense has held opposing star players Shay Ciezki (Indiana), Katie Fiso (Oregon), Kennedy Blair (Michigan State), and Oluchi Okananwa (Maryland) to a combined 29 points on 23.8 percent shooting over the past 14 quarters.
Iowa has also held those four players to a combined 8 assists and 16 turnovers.
Excluding Iowa's first half against Indiana, where Ciezki, the Big Ten's leading scorer, scored 19 points, the Hawkeyes' defense has locked down all of its last four opponents' best players.
It is not a coincidence that Iowa's defense has ramped up since Kylie Feuerbach returned to the lineup against Indiana after missing three games with an ankle injury.
Feuerbach is Iowa's best on-ball defender and is often tasked with shutting down the other team's best player.
With Feuerbach back in the fold, the Hawkeyes' defense has been rejuvenated, and they will need to put up similar performances against No. 12 Ohio State and No. 3 UCLA in two of their next three games.