With Iowa's roster finalized at 11 players, Jan Jensen and the program have a lot of work to do before next season.
The roster dwindled to five players after four players graduated and five left via the transfer portal, and the offseason for the Hawkeyes has been heavily focused on rebuilding the depleted roster. Extremely talented forward prospect McKenna Woliczko and Ella Stromdahl joined from the 2026 class, with Dani Carnegie, Amari Whiting, Jocelyn Faison, and Bria Medina signing from the transfer portal.
Even with the roster set for next season, 2027 and beyond is a mystery. With that in mind, one target in the 2027 class has to be a top priority for Jensen and the program.
Kaleena Smith is a must-have for the program for multiple reasons
Iowa will look completely different next season with six new players in the mix, and the roster has the potential of being very well-rounded. Past next year is anyone's guess, but the top point guard prospect in 2027 is a player Iowa can't afford to miss out on.
Kaleena Smith from Ontario Christian High School in Ontario, California, is not only the highest-ranked point guard prospect in the 2027 class, but is also considered the best overall prospect in the class.
The Iowa program is no stranger to snagging five-star prospects from California, experiencing back-to-back recruiting cycles signing a top California prospect, including Addie Deal and McKenna Woliczko. Smith's high prospect ranking is appealing, but that is not the only reason the Hawkeyes must bring her to Iowa City.
Smith is easily one of the top-scoring guards in the class and can fill it up from anywhere on the court. Not only is Smith a gifted scorer, but she is also a willing passer, both of which are huge needs for the Hawkeyes.
Chit-Chat Wright took a huge leap as the lead guard in her first season with the Hawkeyes last season, but she struggled with turnovers and was too passive at times as a scorer. She shot a stellar 44 percent from beyond the arc, but she often disappeared in big games.
With Smith in the fold, Chit-Chat could return to playing a more comfortable off-ball position and would give the Hawkeyes a lethal one-two backcourt punch.
Forget the ranking, Iowa just needs a pure scorer and distributor
Of course, everyone wants Smith to join their squad, but Iowa desperately needs her commitment. She gives off Caitlin Clark vibes with her ability to score from 25-plus feet, and her passing is one of the most underrated aspects of her game.
With Jada Suebert, one of the top shooting guard prospects in the class, already committed, pairing her with Smith is exactly the kind of move that will push the Hawkeyes into contention for years if they stick with the program.
Having two premier scorers on the court at the same time would allow the program to spread everyone out, letting Ava Heiden and McKenna Woliczko go to work inside while opening up more perimeter opportunities.
Smith has the potential to be a generational talent at the guard position, and even though it woll be extremely difficult to beat out the large amount of programs battling for her services, she is by far the most important prospects for Jan Jensen and the program to pursue.
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