Iowa Shouldn't Fear UConn in Champions Classic

In no world is head coach Jan Jensen going to let the Iowa Hawkeyes play scared against UConn. Sure, the Huskies may be the No. 1 team in the nation, but this is the type of challenge that gets teams ready for tournament time.

Yes, Iowa just lost to No. 10 Iowa State. That loss to the Cyclones hurts as it was their first of the season, to an in-state rival, and now they aren't doing battle in an undefeated showdown at the Champions Classic.

Handing the Huskies their first loss of the year is no easy task, especially after seeing the way they handled No. 16 USC. This is as big of a game as it gets, but there's no reason the Hawkeyes should fear UConn.

Iowa Proved They Can Compete With The Best Of Them

Teamwork at its finest 🤌@statefarm 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/kFpZvfaBy2
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) December 15, 2025

There's a case for the Cyclones being ranked much higher than No. 10, but that's not a discussion to be had at this point in time. Baylor, who was No. 7 when Iowa beat them earlier in the year, is still in the Top 15 despite getting embarrassed by No. 2 Texas.

It's clear there's levels to women's basketball, and UConn is head and shoulders above the rest. There's a case to be made for Texas being ranked No. 1, but the Top 10 has mostly held their ground for these first few weeks.

UConn already has wins over No. 20 Louisville, No. 6 Michigan, and the No. 16 Trojans. The Cardinals now sit at No. 16, the Wolverines have stayed put, and UConn's win over USC dropped them three spots. Either way, the Huskies have three ranked wins in their first 10 games.

Iowa's Toughest Challenge Yet

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

It's hard to pick a much tougher opponent than UConn. Looking at the Top 25, the Huskies have already beaten a trio of teams as they look to make it four on December 20. Before UConn heads to the Barclays Center, they'll host Marquette on December 17. ESPN Analytics doesn't give the Golden Eagles much of a chance (1.0%), but they are giving Iowa less than a 9% chance as well.

UConn will likely run through Marquette and have all the momentum in the world heading into the Champions Classic. They have three players averaging triple digits, but there's no doubt Iowa will be the fresher team. Going a full week without a game could either benefit them or hurt them, but if there's ever a team to have a week to prepare for, it's UConn.

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