Iowa learned its path the Big Ten Championship is not going to be an easy one

The Hawkeyes finished the 2025-2026 regular season on a hot streak, winning six straight.

Iowa's latest winning streak has been impressive, winning games without senior leaders Taylor McCabe and Hannah Stuelke.

McCabe is out for the season with ACL and meniscus injuries, and Stuelke missed the games against Purdue and Wisconsin with upper-body injuries.

Iowa's torrid stretch to end the season pushed them to a No. 2 overall seed in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament, and they now know the path to a Big Ten title.

Iowa is into the quarterfinals with a potential rematch on the horizon

The Hawkeyes locked up a double bye in the Big Ten Tournament after defeating Wisconsin in the final game of the regular season.

That locks them into an automatic quarterfinals appearance, with a rematch against either Illinois or Michigan State on the horizon.

Both Michigan State and Illinois played Iowa tough at home, with the Hawkeyes knocking off both teams by a combined 11 points.

If Iowa gets past Michigan State or Illinois, they have a potential rematch with Michigan in the semifinals.

Even though the Hawkeyes dominated Michigan at home, the Wolverines are one of the top teams in college basketball, with one of the best defenses.

After that, the Hawkeyes will most likely face UCLA in the finals, making their path very difficult.

Iowa is built for postseason success with its depth and star power in Ava Heiden, but struggles with teams that play a similar style, as shown by the loss to UCLA in Los Angeles.

While nothing will be decided until Selection Sunday, the Hawkeyes are a virtual lock to make the NCAA Tournament, and a loss in the Big Ten Tournament is not the end of the world, but a Big Ten Tournament title is great for the program and would give Iowa an automatic bid.