Iowa Faces Toughest Game Of Season vs. Baylor

After landing in Florida, the Iowa Hawkeyes season feels like it's being kicked up a notch. Head coach Jan Jensen has led her team to a 4-0 start, though she hasn't played a team like Baylor.

The 4-0 Bears will prove to be one of the Hawkeyes toughest opponents of the entire season. Baylor has already taken down Duke, in Paris, no less. This is a Top 25 matchup that will be seen nationwide on ESPN2 and is undoubtedly Iowa's biggest test of the season.

No. 19 Iowa Favored vs. No. 7 Baylor

Top-20 Matchup in Orlando 💫 pic.twitter.com/O9eOVCdsVn
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) November 20, 2025

According to ESPN Analytics, Iowa is actually favored to win this game. They're given a 68.8% chance to win, a rather sizeable difference compared to Baylor's 31.2% chance. Knowing that the Bears have already defeated the Blue Devils, it shows just how highly everyone is on Iowa.

Coach Jensen knows her team is much deeper than Baylor, and that depth could prove to be the difference. If Baylor gets in foul trouble or anything else crazy occurs, Iowa holds a key advantage knowing they have numerous players who can come off the bench and make an impact.

Sophomore Chit-Chat Wright has been a monumental transfer portal addition. Some teams refuse to use the portal and solely rely on their recruiting, but Jensen went out and got Wright who now leads the team in scoring. She's averaging double the points than she was last season as it's taken her little to no time to fit into this Hawkeyes offense.

First Game In The National Spotlight

Hello from the Sunshine State. 😁 pic.twitter.com/iRac4QzHvz
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) November 19, 2025

The goal is always to make the National Championship game, but Jensen knows she has to be realistic. She ended up with a fantastic debut season as head coach, and that's something she's looking to expand upon here in 2025-26. After a 4-0 start, it's safe to say she's picking up right where she left off.

A win over Baylor would see Iowa jump quite a few spots in the AP Top 25 come next week. They still have another game this week as they will play Miami on November 22 to wrap up their two-game slate in Orlando for the WBCA Showcase.

Iowa holds a few statistical advantages over the Bears, and if they can exploit those numbers, they'll be in good shape. Baylor is the real deal, and far better than the likes of Southern, Evansville, Drake, and Northern Iowa. A win for Iowa would go a long way as they could very well head into the Iowa State game sitting at 9-0.

Don't forget to bookmark Iowa Hawkeyes on SI for the latest news. exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and more!