IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa women’s basketball team is tied for sixth nationally in the USA Today/WBCA Preseason Coaches Poll. The announcement was made on Wednesday and the Hawkeyes are the highest ranked team in the Big Ten.
A season ago, Iowa was ranked No. 10 nationally in the same preseason poll and tallied 24 victories. The Hawkeyes won the Big Ten Tournament, a share of the regular season title, and earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Iowa finished the season ranked 14th.
Bluder’s squad returns all five starters from a year ago — Caitlin Clark, Monika Czinano, Gabbie Marshall, Kate Martin, and McKenna Warnock.
The Hawkeyes were also picked as the Big Ten preseason favorite. Clark has been tabbed as the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year, All-Big Ten by coaches and media (unanimous), Nancy Lieberman Preseason Watch List, The Athletic Player of the Year, and an AP All-American (unanimous). Czinano was unanimously recognized by the coaches on the preseason all-conference team and is on the Lisa Leslie Preseason Watch List.
The sixth-ranked Hawkeyes open the 2022-23 season with an exhibition against Nebraska-Kearney on Friday at 6:30 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tickets are available for all home contests by calling the ticket office at 1-800-IA-HAWKS or online at hawkeyesports.com/tickets.