Jan Jensen's recent recruiting strategy has become very apparent after another offer to a talented prospect in the 2029 class.
The Hawkeyes are getting an early jump on some of the top prospects in advance in preparation for multiple players leaving the program over the next few years. Over the past month, the program has offered a handful of prospects in the 2029 class, making July the month of 2029. The program is swinging for the fences but getting in early on multiple top prospects, including Kristen Winston, the current No.1-ranked prospect in the class. Recently, the Hawkeyes continued their 2029 push by offering a sharpshooting combo guard from Ohio.
2029 CG Bella Swisshelm picked up an offer from the Iowa program
The program is becoming a five-star hub since Jensen took over for legendary former head coach Lisa Bluder, locking up a five-star prospect in her first two recruiting cycles. Addie Deal (2025) and McKenna Woliczko (2026) were both five-star prospects from California, and while it is still too early for rankings in the 2029 class, the program is still aggressively pursuing top talent from around the country.
After a great conversation with @CoachLBarrett I am blessed to receive an offer from @IowaWBB !!!⬛️🟨 @WCgball @BryceMcKey @Legends_Bball pic.twitter.com/DTjuF5U74E
— Bella Swisshelm (@SwisshelmBella) July 23, 2026
Cincinnati native Bella Swisshelm announced she received an offer from the Hawkeyes, as Iowa's list of offers to the 2029 class continues to grow. Swisshelm is an extremely talented shooter, averaging 19.4 points on 65 percent shooting from the field and 42 percent from beyond the arc, according to MaxPreps. Swisshelm also added 6.5 rebounds, 2.6 steals, and 2.5 assists per game for West Clermont High School last season, proving she gets it done on both ends. Jensen and the program have been keying in on versatile guard/forward prospects, and Swisshelm definitely fits that profile.
She is one of the top prospects in the class, and Prep Girls Hoops currently ranks her as Ohio's No.1 overall prospect in 2029. Iowa's guard depth is already in question after this season, and adding a player with Swisshelm's potential would be a great step towards securing that group in the future. With the NCAA's new five-for-five rule, guards Amari Whiting and Dani Carnegie could return next season alongside Chit-Chat Wright and Taylor Stremlow, but their futures are currently unknown. That means that Iowa needs more guard help outside of the 2027 recruiting class that has already added talented guard Jada Seubert.
There is no guarantee that the program will win every single recruiting battle in the class, but they haven't been scared to hand out offers to multiple No.1-ranked prospects across multiple states. It is still far too early to make any concrete assessments of players in the 2029 class, but Swisshelm could easily be a Swiss Army knife for the program with everything she brings. It will be interesting to follow her development over her final three years in high school and on the AAU circuit.
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