WBB Notes: No. 10 Iowa Set for Top-10 Showdown at No. 2 UConn

FOLLOW LIVE

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

TV: Sunday's matchup against No. 2 UConn will air nationally on FS1, with Kelsie Kasper (play-by-play) and Isis "Ice" Young (analyst) on the call.

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 52-18 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 144-22 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 (2-0) travels to Storrs, Conn., to face No. 2 UConn (1-1) on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 1 p.m. (CT) inside Gampel Pavilion. The contest will air nationally on FS1.
• The Hawkeyes are coming off an 80-39 victory over Eastern Illinois on Thursday. First-year McKenna Woliczko led all scorers with a career-high 22 points, while fourth-year Amari Whiting recorded six steals and seven assists.
• Sunday marks the second meeting between head coaches Jan Jensen and Geno Auriemma since Jensen took over the Iowa program in 2024.
• UConn enters Sunday’s contest following a 77-66 loss at No. 5 Michigan on Thursday.

SCOUTING THE HUSKIES

• UConn is in its 42nd season under head coach Geno Auriemma.
• The Huskies opened the 2026-27 season with a 100-35 victory over Cornell on Nov. 2. Third-year Sarah Strong and first-year Jovana Popovic led UConn with 19 points apiece.
• Strong, the reigning National Player of the Year, recorded a career-high eight steals and five assists against Cornell. UConn finished with 25 steals and forced 29 turnovers.
• No. 5 Michigan defeated No. 2 UConn, 77-66, on Thursday, snapping the Huskies’ 39-game regular-season winning streak.
• Popovic led UConn against Michigan with 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting, seven rebounds and four assists. Strong added 13 points.
• UConn shot 41.5 percent from the field and 25.8 percent from 3-point range against Michigan, committing 19 turnovers.

SERIES HISTORY

• Sunday marks the 12th all-time meeting between Iowa and UConn. The Huskies lead the series, 7-4.
• The teams last met on Dec. 20, 2025, in the Women’s Champions Classic at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. No. 1 UConn defeated No. 11 Iowa, 90-64, in Jensen’s first matchup against Auriemma as a head coach.
• Iowa’s last victory over UConn came on April 5, 2024, when the top-seeded Hawkeyes defeated the No. 3-seeded Huskies, 71-69, in the NCAA National Semifinals in Cleveland. Hannah Stuelke scored 23 points, while Caitlin Clark added 21 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
• Sunday marks Iowa’s first trip to UConn since March 18, 2002, when the Huskies defeated the Hawkeyes, 86-48, in the NCAA Tournament.
• The matchup begins a two-game home-and-home series. UConn will travel to Iowa City during the 2027-28 season, marking its first visit to Carver-Hawkeye Arena since 1999.

THE LAST MEETING

• Then-ranked No. 11 Iowa fell to No. 1 UConn, 90-64, on Dec. 20, 2025, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Hannah Stuelke led Iowa with 17 points, five rebounds and five assists, while Chazadi 'Chit-Chat' Wright added 16 points, connecting on four 3-pointers.
• UConn’s Azzi Fudd led all scorers with 27 points, while Sarah Strong added 23 points, seven rebounds and six steals.
• The Huskies led 42-31 at halftime and outscored the Hawkeyes, 48-33, in the second half. 

EASTERN ILLINOIS REWIND

• No. 10 Iowa defeated Eastern Illinois, 80-39, on Nov. 5 inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena to improve to 2-0.
• First-year McKenna Woliczko led all scorers with a career-high 22 points, shooting 9-of-12 from the field and 4-of-6 from 3-point range. Third-year Ava Heiden added 15 points and eight rebounds, while Dani Carnegie finished with 12 points and seven rebounds.
• Iowa outscored Eastern Illinois, 27-8, in the second quarter, forcing 10 turnovers without committing one. The Hawkeyes took a 44-18 advantage into halftime.
• Fourth-year Amari Whiting matched her career high with six steals and dished out a game-high seven assists. Journey Houston added four steals as Iowa forced 27 turnovers and recorded 16 steals.
• The Hawkeyes outscored the Panthers, 40-16, in the paint and 18-3 in fast-break points. Iowa collected 22 assists on 31 made field goals.
• All 11 available Hawkeyes saw action, including a collegiate debut for Ella Strömdahl and a Hawkeye debut for Bria Medina.

DEFENSE SETS THE TONE

• Iowa has held its first two opponents to fewer than 50 points, allowing Towson 45 points and Eastern Illinois 39.
• The Hawkeyes have limited opponents to 31.3 percent shooting from the field and 18.5 percent from 3-point range through two games.
• Iowa forced 27 turnovers against Eastern Illinois, converting them into 30 points. The Hawkeyes recorded 16 steals, led by six from Whiting and four from Houston.
• The Hawkeyes held Eastern Illinois to five made field goals and 18 points in the first half.
• Iowa enters Sunday’s matchup averaging 10.0 steals per game and allowing 42.0 points per contest.

WINNING THE GLASS

• Iowa has outrebounded its opponents, 96-52, through two games, averaging 48.0 rebounds per contest with a +22.0 rebounding margin.
• The Hawkeyes outrebounded Towson, 52-27, and Eastern Illinois, 44-25, including a combined 38-13 advantage on the offensive glass.
• Iowa has outscored its opponents, 33-4, in second-chance points through two games.
• Heiden leads Iowa with 7.5 rebounds per game, followed by Carnegie, Woliczko and Whiting at 6.0 apiece.

OPENING ACT

• Iowa opened the 2026-27 season with consecutive victories over Towson (73-45) and Eastern Illinois (80-39).
• The Hawkeyes extended their streak to 27 consecutive regular-season opening victories following their win over Towson on Nov. 2.
• Iowa is 3-0 in season openers under head coach Jan Jensen.
• The Hawkeyes have won their first two games by a combined 69 points, averaging 76.5 points per contest with a +34.5 scoring margin.

NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT

• Iowa has four players named to Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame positional award preseason watch lists for the 2026-27 season.
• Chazadi “Chit-Chat” 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 third 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 52-18 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.
• Sunday marks Iowa’s first matchup against a ranked opponent this season and its first top-10 matchup of the 2026-27 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.
• Heiden is averaging 11.0 points and 7.5 rebounds through two games this season, shooting 83.3 percent (10-of-12) from the field.
• 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.
• Carnegie leads Iowa in scoring through two games, averaging 16.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per contest.
• Whiting started all 34 games at Oklahoma State last season, averaging 9.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists per contest.
• Whiting leads Iowa in assists (4.5) and steals (3.0) per game through two contests.
• 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 recorded a career-high 22 points against Eastern Illinois, shooting 9-of-12 from the field and 4-of-6 from 3-point range.
• Through two collegiate games, Woliczko is averaging 16.0 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting 72.2 percent from the field and 55.6 percent from beyond the arc.
• 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 returns home to face Northern Iowa on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 7:30 p.m. (CT) on BTN.
• 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 and 13,314 against Eastern Illinois.
• Iowa has drawn 26,445 fans through two home games this season, averaging 13,223 per contest.
• 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.

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.
• First-year Ella Strömdahl made her collegiate debut against Eastern Illinois, recording one assist and one steal. She is the first Swedish player in Iowa women’s basketball history.
• Fourth-year Bria Medina also made her Hawkeye debut against Eastern Illinois, logging just under five minutes of action.

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.