Discouraging Loss Sees Iowa Fall In Power Rankings

After falling from No. 11 to No. 14 in the latest AP Top 25, the Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball team fell even further in ESPN's power rankings.

Charlie Creme wasn't too pleased with what he saw in their lopsided loss to No. 1 UConn. Even though the Hawkeyes lost to the No. 1 team in the nation, they've caught more slack for that loss than their one to No. 10 Iowa State.

Currently, Creme has Iowa at No. 15 in his power rankings. They have a brutal schedule coming up, but before then should be able to get back on track against the likes of Penn State and Northwestern.

Creme Highlights 'Discouraging' Loss to UConn

Iowa F Hannah Stuelk — Dec 20, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; UConn Huskies forward Sarah Strong (21) drives to the basket against Iowa Hawkeyes forward Hannah Stuelke (45) during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Pamela Smith-Imagn Images | Pamela Smith-Imagn Images

"The 90-68 loss to UConn was discouraging, especially coming just 10 days after the loss to rival Iowa State, but there were encouraging signs with an important first month of Big Ten play looming," Creme said.

He continued, "Considering the level of competition, Hannah Stuelke might have played her best game of the season with 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting. And point guard Chit-Chat Wright played 35 minutes against UConn's relentless pressure and only turned over the ball three times while scoring 16 points."

Having Chit-Chat Wright back has been huge, and she proved her worth against the No. 1 team in the nation. Three turnovers is nothing to worry about as their team turned it over an astonishing 26 times. In no world is that acceptable, but head coach Jan Jensen is confident her girls will get back on track.

Iowa Must Be Dominant In B1G Play

Iowa G Chit-Chat Wrigh — Iowa guard Chit-Chat Wright (11) drives to the baskeet against Drake forward Maggie Taylor (15) Nov. 13, 2025 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The highlight of their "brutal schedule" coming up features five straight games against ranked opponents. Iowa only gets to play two of those games at home, meaning they'll have to travel to No. 7 Maryland, No. 17 USC, and No. 4 UCLA. If that wasn't enough, they're hosting No. 24 Michigan State and No. 19 Ohio State.

Keep in mind, those aren't the only ranked teams Iowa is playing this season. They're hosting No. 20 Nebraska on New Years Day and will also play them on the road later in the year. Other than that, they're set to host No. 6 Michigan on February 22.

Iowa's conference schedule will undeniably determine where they are in the March Madness tournament. These ranked games mean everything, and Jensen knows her team can't slip up against a non-ranked team like Indiana or Oregon. With B1G play ramping up, Iowa's schedule is about to get a lot more difficult as teams like Evansville and Lindenwood are no longer on the horizon.

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