Iowa has a chance to do something special in Jan Jensen's third season at the helm, and its preseason ranking proves it.
Iowa wasn't ranked until week four in Jensen's first season, and started at No. 21 before last season. The Hawkeyes were successful last season, finishing 27-7, but stumbled down the stretch and were upset in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Iowa lost nine players from last year but added more talent this offseason. Despite a new-look roster, Iowa got some love in the preseason AP Top 25 rankings.
Iowa is ranked No. 10 overall in the first AP Top 25 of the 2026-2027 season
Iowa was a veteran-led team last season, losing four players to graduation. The program also lost five players to the transfer portal, including former five-star prospect Addie Deal. The roster dwindled to five players, prompting Jensen and her staff to ramp up their efforts in this year's transfer portal cycle. Iowa signed four players from the portal and added two from the 2026 recruiting class, and although the roster looks drastically different from last year, the initial top-25 ranking proves how good they can be.
NEW: Preseason Women's College Basketball AP Poll🏀https://t.co/TtFea1hiZj pic.twitter.com/TGtJsczPG0
— On3 (@On3) October 20, 2026
Iowa added talented transfers Amari Whiting (Oklahoma State), Bria Medina (Knox College), Dani Carnegie (Georgia), and Jocelyn Faison (Georgia), along with five-star prospect McKenna Woliczko and Ella Stromdahl from Sweden in the 2026 recruiting class. Carnegie and Woliczko headline the new additions, evidenced by Iowa's recent closed-door scrimmage against Oklahoma State, but the roster is talented from top to bottom. In Iowa's recent scrimmage, Carnegie reportedly tallied 31 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists to lead the way, and Woliczko dropped 19 points. If they can get even remotely close to those numbers, Iowa is in great shape.
Carnegie, alongside former Georgia Tech teammate Chit-Chat Wright and Ava Heiden, could form a lethal trio, and we can't forget about Woliczko and Whiting. Woliczko oozes talent and will make an immediate impact, and Whiting has 97 career starts and is in the mix for a starting spot. Iowa's bench is a question mark, but there are some interesting pieces. If Taylor Stremlow is on the bench, she brings leadership and three-point shooting, alongside Journey Houston, Layla Hays, and Bria Medina. Houston could also be in the mix for a starting forward spot, but Woliczko is the likely choice thanks to her size, skill, and shooting.
Iowa has few holes in its roster and a golden opportunity to prove it deserves a preseason top-10 ranking early in the non-conference and Big Ten schedule. The program is scheduled to face two tough matchups against No. 2 UConn and No. 8 Vanderbilt, and No. 23 Illinois in their second Big Ten Conference game. We will know how worthy Iowa is early this season, and they could prove they are ready to take the next step. Iowa's only concern is guard depth behind Whiting, Chit-Chat, and Stremlow, with several unproven players behind them. Jensen is known for getting the most out of the roster, and implemented the four-out, one-in offense for a reason.
She is excellent at tailoring her system to her personnel, and putting up 96 points against preseason No. 22 Oklahoma State is a solid indicator of what the offense can do. If Iowa improves defensively and finds ways to replace Hannah Stuelke's rebounding, it is in great shape. Iowa can be near the top of the conference again, and although it won't be easy, don't sleep on the Hawkeyes this season.
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