Iowa's AP Top 25 Ranking After Season's First Loss

After dropping their first game of the year, Iowa Hawkeyes fans were worried about how far they may fall in the AP Top 25. When the latest poll was released on Dec. 15, it was revealed they're staying put.

Iowa remained No. 11 despite its 74-69 loss to No. 10 Iowa State. In fact, the Cyclones didn't move either. Oklahoma and TCU swapped places at No. 8 and No. 9, but otherwise, there were no changes in the Top 11.

Had the Hawkeyes lost to Lindenwood, there's no doubt things would be different. Thankfully for head coach Jan Jensen, they cruised to a 102-68 win over the Lions.

Iowa Remains No. 11 In AP Top 25

A Holly Jolly W 🎅🏼🎄 pic.twitter.com/aa78oLB9Fm
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) December 14, 2025

Had Iowa taken care of business in the Cy-Hawk rivalry game, it could have jumped to as high as No. 8. Looking at the way the poll played out, it's more likely they would've just swapped spots with their in-state rival.

Either way, the Hawkeyes have the perfect opportunity to move up in the rankings. On Dec. 20, Jensen's squad heads to New York, where they'll face No. 1 UConn in the Champions Classic.

Dec 10, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes Hannah Stuelke (45) sets a screen on Iowa State Cyclones Jada Williams (8) for teammate Iowa Hawkeyes Kylie Feuerbach (4) during the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

The Huskies are one of six undefeated teams ahead of Iowa. Seeing as UConn just wiped the floor with No. 16 USC, 79-51, Iowa knows it's in for quite the challenge. Thankfully for the Hawkeyes, they have the week off while the Huskies take on Marquette on Dec. 17.

Iowa's Chance To Make The Top 10

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— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) December 13, 2025

There hasn't been a lot of movement with these Top 11 wins, but an Iowa win over UConn would shake everything up. There's a case to be made for Texas being No. 1, especially with their dominant win over Baylor, but it's worth noting this Hawkeyes team took down the Bears earlier in the season.

With their biggest challenge coming up in a few days, Jensen knows this is their best chance to crack into the Top 10. A win for Iowa would realistically move them up three spots, at least. Since this is their only game of the week, it's important to make a great impression.

Even with a loss, it's not like Iowa is going to fall to No. 20. There are some great teams behind them, but a few of those teams already have three losses. Iowa falling to the Huskies would be a quality loss that shouldn't hurt them too much. It'd be shocking to see them drop anywhere further than No. 15.

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