Iowa's Two Keys To Victory In Top 15 Showdown

Jan. 18 marks one of the Iowa Hawkeyes biggest conference games to date as they welcome No. 15 Michigan State to Carver.

The Spartans come to Iowa City with a respectable 17-1 (6-1) record. One of the most puzzling things about MSU is their loss to Wisconsin, a team that sits at 11-7 (3-4).

Their lone loss being to a team 10th in the conference is alarming, but also puts into perspective just how competitive this conference is.

Keep in mind, MSU has a trio of ranked wins this season. They've taken down No. 15 Ole Miss, No. 23 Washington, and No. 24 Nebraska. The Huskies are now unranked, and the Cornhuskers probably won't be either, but those are still ranked wins on their resume as they have won nine straight.

1. Defense Wins Championships

A top-15 matchup in CHA 🤩 pic.twitter.com/HqZ5QulSDp
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) January 18, 2026

The last thing Iowa wants to do is get into a shootout with the No. 15 team in the nation. MSU comes into this game averaging a staggering 87.6 points per game, which puts them at No. 8 in the nation.

Iowa sits at No. 23, averaging 80.5 points per game, and what makes it even worse is the fact that the Spartans allow three fewer points per game than the Hawkeyes. Not only is Michigan State great offensively, but their defense has held their ground as well.

Dec 20, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Taylor Stremlow (1) dribbles the ball against the UConn Huskies during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Pamela Smith-Imagn Images | Pamela Smith-Imagn Images

MSU has certainly run up the score against the likes of Mercyhurst (125-39), Eastern Illinois (101-53), Oakland (102-41) and Indiana State (115-66). Those games help skew their numbers, but they're still averaging 82.4 points per game during this nine-game winning streak.

2. Iowa Needs Their Supporting Cast

Beautiful Basketball 🤩

Our @StateFarm Assist of the Game ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/ixg1pTi2wz
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) January 18, 2026

Iowa doesn't have a chance at winning if they have to rely on Ava Heiden or Hannah Stuelke to do all the work. As great as those two players are, neither are good enough to completely take over and dominate the No. 15 team in the nation.

ESPN Analytics gives Iowa a 58.1% chance to win this game, and them being at home plays a huge part in that. Coming off the best game of her young career, the Hawkeyes faithful need to get behind a player like Addie Deal, as it's clear how important she is to this team.

It's going to take a true team effort to take down the Spartans. The likes of Kylie Feuerbach, Taylor Stremlow, and even Journey Houston could all have a pivotal role in this game. That said, don't forget about Chit-Chat Wright, who has been a bit quiet since the Nebraska game.

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