Iowa Inches Closer To Top March Madness Seed

Last week, the Iowa Hawkeyes jumped up to a No. 2 seed in their Bracketology projection.

Coming off another major win, Iowa has remained a No. 2 seed. There's a clear path to being No. 1, but that's so much easier said than done.

Winning out is the obvious route, but Iowa securing a win over No. 3 UCLA would do wonders for their tournament seeding. They've already beaten back-to-back ranked opponents, and now they're eyeing to do so a third time against No. 12 Ohio State.

Iowa may not crack a No. 1 seed until after Feb. 1, but even if they lose to the Bruins, they'll still be in good shape. No one expects the Hawkeyes to win out, but if they do, they'd have no choice but to be a No. 1 seed.

Iowa Projected No. 2 Seed

NEW:

Iowa Women’s Basketball sticks as a 2 seed in the latest ESPN Bracketology update with their 17-2 record.

Hawkeyes face #12 Ohio State on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/HP9Qs82tE8
— Kyle Huesmann (@HuesmannKyle) January 23, 2026

With the way they're going, it wouldn't be surprising to see Iowa as a Top 3 seed come tournament time. They still have five ranked opponents ahead of them, but they've already shown they have what it takes to beat the best the B1G has to offer.

Currently, Bracketology has them as the No. 2 seed taking on No. 15 So. Indiana. The Screaming Eagles are 14-4 (8-1) and this is the first time they've seen their name linked to the tournament.

Obviously, one of the advantages of having a high seed is the fact that these games would be in Iowa City. That's a big deal, and one that cannot be stressed enough. Should Iowa take care of business in round one, they'd then face the winner of No. 7 Alabama vs. No. 10 Fairfield.

Region 1 - Fort Worth

Iowa F Hannah Stuelk — Dec 20, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes forward Hannah Stuelke (45) and UConn Huskies forward Blanca Quiñonez (4) compete for a rebound during the second half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Pamela Smith-Imagn Images | Pamela Smith-Imagn Images

With how the bracket is set up, Iowa would be on a collision course to do battle with No. 1 UConn in the Elite Eight. This would be a huge rematch from earlier in the year when the Huskies embarrassed the Hawkeyes in the Champions Classic, 90-64.

Iowa stood no chance against the undefeated powerhouse, but a lot can change from now to March. There's a chance the Huskies could lose to a team like No. 4 Oklahoma or No. 3 TCU, anything is possible.

At this point, Iowa just needs to keep doing their thing. With 10 games remaining, there is still so much that can happen as second-year head coach Jan Jensen eyes improving on her second-round exit from last year's tournament.

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