Iowa Drops in AP Poll After Blowout Loss

Just two weeks ago, the Iowa Hawkeyes - under second-year head coach Jan Jensen - were a fringe top 10 team, undefeated at 9-0 and making a case as an elite team on the national stage. Now, three games and two losses later, Jensen's bunch are facing a sudden and steep turn in their 2025-26 campaign.

Their latest loss against the No. 1 UConn Huskies may have specifically revealed the team's ceiling come tournament time; at least, according to their current state. Having been outscored in every quarter and dropping the contest to a screeching final tally of 90-64, the black and goal, although on the road, to be fair, fell flat under the televised spotlight.

In this week's AP Poll, the Hawkeyes paid for their defeat as a result. After occupying the No. 11 spot previously, Iowa fell three spots to No. 14.

A Fair Drop

Although the numerical dip may be initially frustrating for Hawkeyes fans, to only drop three places after a near-30 point loss may be closer to a blessing that anything else. It also helps that Iowa isn't the only team to struggle against the Huskies; a perennial powerhouse, UConn is perhaps the only team in women's college hoops who blow out the best of the best on a consistent basis.

Final Score: Iowa 64, UConn 90
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) December 20, 2025

What matters for Iowa at their current juncture is what the loss may mean for their season's eventual trajectory. Even if Jensen hasn't put together a "best of the best" roster, for just her second year, the Hawkeyes are undoubtedly an above average bunch.

Above Average Bunch

That ever-elusive top 10 ranking certainly sets a team apart in a different way, but given how early the Hawkeyes are in their season still, they'll have plenty of time to achieve it. To boot, this is a team with a ranked win (over Baylor) under their belts already. With plenty more opportunities in the looming B1G schedule to add to that tally, Iowa could truly just be getting started.

The biggest factors, if the Hawkeyes are to improve, will be to take their loss to the Huskies in stride and, by way of that attitude, learn from it. Clean up the turnovers, turn up the heat on defense and, more than anything else, move on.

HC Jensen has already proven her worth at the top. Now, it's about making an already good team great by March.

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