Iowa Women's Basketball, led by dominating post play, has had a stellar start to the 2025-2026 season.
After a dominating performance against Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls over the weekend, the Hawkeyes moved to 4-0 this season.
The strength of the Iowa squad this season is in the post, thanks to a trio of dominating players.
Starting center Ava Heiden (14.3 points, 9.0 rebounds) and forward Hannah Stuelke (12.0 points, 7.5 rebounds) are averaging close to a double-double per game, with backup center Layla Hays providing good minutes off the bench.
Hays has slowly been earning more and more trust from Head Coach Jan Jensen and is often one of the first players off the bench.
Through four games, Hays is leading the bench mob in scoring (13.0) and rebounds (5.8), and she is currently averaging more points than Stuelke.
Iowa has been solid as a team on both ends of the floor, ranking in the top 20 in multiple major offensive and defensive categories.
The Hawkeyes are ranked No. 4 in assists per game (24.5), No. 8 in field goal percentage (54.0), and No. 8 in scoring offense (94.8)
Iowa's defense also ranks No. 9 in field goal percentage defense (29.4 percent) and No. 17 in scoring defense (48.3 points per game).
The Hawkeyes began the season ranked at No. 21 in the AP Top 25 poll and moved up two spots after a dominating start to the season.
Breaking into the 𝗧𝗼𝗽-𝟮𝟬 🫡 pic.twitter.com/Stzx4u1uBV
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) November 17, 2025
The Hawkeyes now rank No. 19 in the most recent AP Top 25 rankings before a pivotal matchup against No. 7 Baylor.
Iowa's matchup against Baylor will be its first significant test of the season, preceding the Big Ten Conference schedule, which begins on December 6 against Rutgers.
Baylor had a tough time with UNLV in Vegas last Friday before crushing Le Moyne at home on Sunday.
The Hawkeyes will have to slow down a high-powered Baylor offense to have a chance to upset the Bears at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.