WBB Notes: No. 10 Hawkeyes Host Eastern Illinois Thursday

FOLLOW LIVE

Radio: Games air on the Hawkeye Radio Network with Rob Brooks (play-by-play) and Kathryn Reynolds (color) on the call. The network includes more than 40 stations across Iowa and portions of neighboring states. A 30-minute pregame show precedes each broadcast.

Streaming: Thursday's matchup against Eastern Illinois will stream on B1G+ (subscription required), with Collin Carrithers, Morgan Burhans and Megan Heine on the call.

KRUI Sports: Aiden Schoeff and Robert Yoshimura will also call the action.

PROGRAM QUICK HITS

• Iowa became the first program in Big Ten history to compete in back-to-back NCAA national championship games in 2023 and 2024.
• The Hawkeyes won a school-record 34 games in 2023-24, advancing to their second consecutive national championship game and third Final Four in program history.
• Iowa has made 32 NCAA Tournament appearances, including eight consecutive berths, reaching 10 Sweet 16s, six Elite Eights, three Final Fours and two national championship games.
• The Hawkeyes have captured 16 Big Ten titles, including six conference tournament championships. Four tournament crowns have come since 2019 (2019, 2022, 2023, 2024).
• Iowa has recorded 10 consecutive 20-win seasons, tying the longest streak in program history, previously set under C. Vivian Stringer (1984-94).
• The Hawkeyes finished 27-7 overall and 15-3 in Big Ten play in 2025-26, advancing to the conference tournament championship game and earning a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
• Jan Jensen owns a 51-18 overall record and compiled a 25-11 Big Ten mark through her first two seasons. She became the fastest head coach in program history to reach 50 career victories.
• Jensen is the first Iowa women’s basketball head coach to record 20 or more victories in each of her first two seasons.
• Iowa has sold out its season ticket allotment for the fourth consecutive season in 2026-27.
• The Hawkeyes are 143-22 in Iowa City dating back to Nov. 11, 2016.
• Iowa has produced at least one first-team All-Big Ten selection in 10 consecutive seasons dating back to 2017, most recently Ava Heiden in 2026.
• Six Hawkeyes have been selected in the WNBA Draft since 2019: Megan Gustafson, Kathleen Doyle, Monika Czinano, Caitlin Clark, Kate Martin and Lucy Olsen.
• Iowa returns five players and welcomes six newcomers in 2026-27, including four transfers and two first-year players.

OPENING TIP

• No. 10 Iowa (1-0) welcomes Eastern Illinois (0-1) on Thursday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m. (CT) inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena for Dance Marathon Night. The game will stream on B1G+.
• The Hawkeyes opened the 2026-27 campaign with a 73-45 victory over Towson on Monday, extending their streak to 27 consecutive regular-season opening wins.
• Third-year Dani Carnegie led Iowa with 21 points, five rebounds and five assists in her Hawkeye debut. First-year McKenna Woliczko added 10 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.
• Eastern Illinois opened its season Tuesday with a 76-54 loss at Drake. Nyah Hardy led the Panthers with 15 points, while Janyah Bohanon added 10.

Scouting the Panthers

• Eastern Illinois is in its third season under head coach Marqus McGlothan after finishing 4-27 overall and 3-17 in Ohio Valley Conference play in 2025-26.
• The Panthers were picked seventh in the 2026-27 OVC preseason poll.
• Senior guard Ava Stoller returns after leading EIU with 11.9 points and 2.8 assists per game last season. Stoller also set the program’s single-season free throw percentage record at 90 percent.
• Stoller and Buffalo transfer Janyah Bohanon were named OVC Preseason Players to Watch.
• Eastern Illinois returns seven players, including Meioshe Mason (7.3 PPG, 5.5 RPG), Clara Glad (6.7 PPG) and 6-foot-10 center Abbie Boutilier, who averaged 6.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in 12 games before a season-ending injury.
• The Panthers won both exhibitions, defeating Quincy, 66-57, and Illinois Wesleyan, 76-69.
• Eastern Illinois fell at Drake, 76-54, in its season opener Tuesday. The teams were tied at 10 after the first quarter before the Bulldogs used a 29-10 second-quarter advantage to take a 39-20 halftime lead.
• Hardy scored a team-high 15 points off the bench, connecting on three 3-pointers. Bohanon added 10 points and three blocks, while Stoller was held scoreless on 0-of-4 shooting.
• The Panthers shot 42.6 percent (23-of-54) from the field and 28.6 percent (4-of-14) from beyond the arc against Drake, committing 17 turnovers.
• Drake outrebounded EIU, 48-31, including a 21-5 advantage on the offensive glass. The Bulldogs held a 24-5 edge in second-chance points.
• Eastern Illinois recorded eight blocks against Drake, led by Bohanon with three. Boutilier and Mason added two apiece.

SERIES HISTORY

• Thursday marks the first all-time meeting between Iowa and Eastern Illinois in women’s basketball.
• The Panthers open the season with three consecutive games in the state of Iowa, traveling to Drake (Nov. 3), Iowa (Nov. 5) and Iowa State (Nov. 8).

SEASON OPENER REWIND

• No. 10 Iowa defeated Towson, 73-45, on Nov. 2 inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
• Carnegie led all scorers with 21 points, five rebounds and five assists, while Chazadi ‘Chit-Chat’ Wright added 14 points and three 3-pointers.
• Iowa led 17-14 after the first quarter before holding Towson to nine points in the second. The Hawkeyes closed the half on a 10-0 run, holding the Tigers scoreless over the final 5:17 to take a 33-23 halftime lead.
• The Hawkeyes outscored Towson, 21-8, in the fourth quarter, shooting 50 percent (8-of-16) from the field. Carnegie scored 10 points in the period as Iowa closed the contest on a 12-0 run, holding Towson scoreless over the final 3:56.
• Iowa held the Tigers to 31.1 percent shooting and 16.7 percent from beyond the arc. Towson went 0-of-7 from 3-point range in the second half.
• All nine Hawkeyes who played scored, and seven players collected at least five rebounds.

WINNING THE GLASS

• Iowa outrebounded Towson, 52-27, in its season opener, including an 18-9 advantage on the offensive glass.
• The Hawkeyes recorded 21 second-chance points compared to just two for the Tigers.
• Woliczko led Iowa with eight rebounds, while Ava Heiden and Taylor Stremlow each grabbed seven.
• Iowa blocked six shots, led by Woliczko with three and Stremlow with two.

OPENING ACT

• Iowa has won 27 consecutive regular-season openers following its 73-45 victory over Towson on Nov. 2.
• The Hawkeyes are 3-0 in season openers under head coach Jan Jensen.
• Iowa opened its regular season at home for the 16th consecutive season, dating back to the 2011-12 campaign.

NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT

• Iowa has four players named to Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame positional award preseason watch lists for the 2026-27 season.
• Wright was named to the Nancy Lieberman Award watch list, recognizing the nation’s top point guard.
• Carnegie earned a spot on the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award watch list, recognizing the nation’s top shooting guard.
• Woliczko was selected to the Katrina McClain Award watch list, recognizing the nation’s top power forward.
• Heiden was named to the Lisa Leslie Award watch list, recognizing the nation’s top center.
• Heiden and Carnegie were also named to the 50-player Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Women’s College Player of the Year preseason watch list.
• Iowa has produced two previous Naismith Trophy winners. Megan Gustafson earned the award in 2019, while Caitlin Clark won in 2023 and 2024.

SETTING THE STAGE

• Iowa enters its second game of the 2026-27 season following a 27-7 campaign that included a 15-3 mark in Big Ten play last year.
• The Hawkeyes have made 32 NCAA Tournament appearances in program history, including eight consecutive trips to the Big Dance.
• Iowa has recorded 10 consecutive 20-win seasons, tying the longest streak in program history.
• Jensen is in her third season as head coach and 27th with the program. She owns a 51-18 record and became the fastest head coach in school history to reach 50 career wins.
• The Hawkeyes earned a No. 2 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Big Ten Tournament championship game.
• Iowa recorded seven AP Top 25 regular-season victories in 2025-26, tying a program record. Five came against AP Top 15 opponents, also matching a school record.

TOP-10 TERRITORY

• Iowa opened the 2026-27 season ranked No. 10 in both the Associated Press and WBCA Coaches preseason polls.
• The No. 10 AP ranking is Iowa’s highest preseason ranking since the 2023-24 campaign.
• The Hawkeyes are one of nine Big Ten programs ranked in the AP preseason Top 25.

THE RETURNING FIVE

• Heiden, Wright, Taylor Stremlow, Journey Houston and Layla Hays return for the Hawkeyes in 2026-27.
• Heiden averaged 18.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game last season while shooting 64.1 percent from the field.
• Heiden totaled 612 points and 246 rebounds in 2025-26, ranking third and seventh, respectively, on Iowa’s second-year single-season lists.
• Wright averaged 12.5 points, 4.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game in her first season at Iowa.
• Wright connected on 70 3-pointers at a 44.0 percent clip last season. Her 138 assists rank seventh on Iowa’s second-year single-season list.
• Wright, Heiden and Stremlow were voted team captains for the 2026-27 season.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

• Iowa welcomed four transfers: Dani Carnegie (Georgia), Jocelyn Faison (Georgia), Amari Whiting (Oklahoma State) and Bria Medina (Knox College).
• Carnegie was the No. 6 overall transfer portal prospect and earned unanimous first-team All-SEC recognition at Georgia in 2025-26.
• Carnegie averaged 17.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game last season. She connected on 84 3-pointers and started all 32 games for the Bulldogs.
• Whiting started all 34 games at Oklahoma State last season, averaging 9.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists per contest.
• Medina averaged 23.6 points per game at Knox College, ranking second nationally in Division III. She was named Midwest Conference Player of the Year and earned first-team all-region recognition.
• Carnegie helped Team USA capture gold at the 2026 FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup.

STAR POWER FROM SAN BRUNO

• Woliczko was rated the No. 6 overall prospect nationally by ESPN and is the second-highest-rated recruit in Iowa program history.
• Woliczko was selected to the 2026 McDonald’s All-American Game, Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit.
• The San Bruno, California, native averaged 21.3 points and 9.4 rebounds per game during her high school career at Archbishop Mitty.
• Woliczko owns two USA Basketball gold medals from the 2023 FIBA Americas U16 Championship and 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup.

FOUR OUT, ALL IN

• Iowa has transitioned to a four-out, one-in motion offense after utilizing a double-post, high-low system for much of the 2025-26 campaign.
• Jensen said the offensive adjustment is designed to create additional driving lanes for guards and make it more difficult for opponents to double-team Heiden.
• Houston is transitioning from a post-oriented role to a perimeter position, adding versatility to Iowa’s backcourt.
• Heiden led all Power Four players in scoring improvement last season, increasing her average by 13.0 points per game.

BIG TEN, BIG HONORS

• Heiden earned first-team All-Big Ten recognition from both the coaches and media in 2025-26.
• Wright garnered third-team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and honorable mention recognition from the media.
• Heiden received honorable mention All-America recognition from the Associated Press, USBWA and WBCA.
• Jensen was named a 2026 Naismith Coach of the Year semifinalist and a WBCA Division I Coach of the Year finalist.

CIRCLE THE DATES

• Iowa travels to face No. 2 UConn on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 1 p.m. (CT) on FS1 before returning home to face Northern Iowa on Nov. 12.
• The Hawkeyes will face Vanderbilt on Nov. 15 in Sioux City, Iowa, before traveling to Nassau, Bahamas, for matchups against Utah (Nov. 23) and Navy (Nov. 25).
• Iowa’s 18-game Big Ten slate features nine home and nine road contests, with Nebraska serving as the Hawkeyes’ lone home-and-home opponent.
• Iowa is scheduled for 18 nationally distributed games across FOX, FS1, BTN and Peacock, including 14 linear television appearances.
• The 2027 Big Ten Tournament will take place March 3-7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

PACKED HOUSE, AS USUAL

• Iowa has sold out its season ticket allotment for the fourth consecutive season.
• The Hawkeyes welcomed 13,131 fans to their season-opening victory over Towson on Nov. 2.
• Iowa welcomed 224,970 fans across 15 regular-season home games in 2025-26.
• Corda Credit Union was named the presenting sponsor of Iowa women’s basketball in October as part of a multiyear partnership.

SHARING THE ROCK

• Iowa ranked third nationally and second in the Big Ten in assists per game last season, averaging 20.7.
• The Hawkeyes ranked ninth nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.37) in 2025-26.
• Wright and Stremlow averaged 4.5 and 4.3 assists per game, respectively, last season.
• Iowa has averaged at least 20 assists per game in seven of the last nine seasons.

POLL POSITION

• Iowa finished the 2025-26 season ranked No. 16 in the final Associated Press Top 25.
• The Hawkeyes reached as high as No. 7 in the AP Poll last season.
• Iowa entered the 2026-27 season having appeared in 21 consecutive AP Top 25 polls.
• Iowa defeated three AP Top 25 opponents in three consecutive regular-season games for the first time in program history from Jan. 18-25, 2026.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Woliczko recorded a women’s event-record 13 rebounds at the 2026 Nike Hoop Summit, adding 10 points and six assists.
• Carnegie and Wright were teammates at Georgia Tech in 2024-25, where both played under current Iowa assistant coach Lasondra Barrett.
• Sydney Affolter was named special assistant to the head coach on Oct. 15 after serving as a graduate assistant during the 2025-26 season.
• Iowa has won its last five exhibition contests, including victories over Missouri Western, 110-55, in 2024, Ashland, 104-63, in 2025 and Maryville, 124-67, in 2026 under Jan Jensen. The Hawkeyes have scored at least 100 points in each of their last four exhibitions.

FROM CARVER TO THE W

• Iowa has produced six WNBA Draft selections since 2019: Megan Gustafson, Kathleen Doyle, Monika Czinano, Caitlin Clark, Kate Martin and Lucy Olsen.
• Olsen was selected by the Washington Mystics in the second round of the 2025 WNBA Draft, becoming Jensen’s first WNBA Draft pick as head coach.