Iowa's Two Keys To Victory vs. Penn State

Sitting at 10-2 (1-0), the Big Ten grind starts now. Head coach Jan Jensen knows her Iowa Hawkeyes are coming off an extremely embarrassing loss, but at the end of the day it was to the No. 1 team in the nation.

Iowa has dropped two of their last three which contributed to them falling to No. 14 in the AP Top 25. They were previously as high as No. 11, but their 74-69 loss to No. 10 Iowa State didn't help as they tried to enter the Top 10.

With a win over No. 7 Baylor earlier in the year, Iowa knows they have what it takes to get the job done. Now, they just need to take care of business against a Penn State school that is 7-5 (0-1).

ESPN Analytics is on Iowa's side as the Hawkeyes are given a 96.8% chance to win. Seeing as this game is played at Carver, it certainly helps their chances of getting back on track with an extremely difficult schedule ahead of them.

1. Limit Turnovers

Iowa G Taylor Stremlo — Dec 20, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Taylor Stremlow (1) dribbles the ball against UConn Huskies guard Azzi Fudd (35) during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Pamela Smith-Imagn Images | Pamela Smith-Imagn Images

As simple as it sounds, Iowa turned the ball over 26 times against the Huskies. Seeing as this was their most recent game played, even though it was back on December 20, that is a number that continues to be brought up.

Jensen and company were extremely disappointed with their performance, but there's no reason to lose hope after losing to the Huskies. That was their fourth Top 25 win of the year as they're one of the most dominant No. 1 seeds in quite some time.

Now, Iowa just has to recover. They are about to enter the gauntlet that is their B1G schedule and they can't let a pair of losses get to them. AP voters kept them ranked for a reason, and on paper, Iowa should have no issues taking control of this game against the Nittany Lions.

2. Get Everybody Involved

Iowa G Journey Housto — Dec 20, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; UConn Huskies forward Sarah Strong (21) and Iowa Hawkeyes guard Journey Houston (8) compete for the ball during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Pamela Smith-Imagn Images | Pamela Smith-Imagn Images

Iowa is at their best when everyone is contributing. No matter how good Ava Heiden or Hannah Stuelke are, this is still a team game. Neither are ball-hogs, far from it, but the Hawkeyes seem to put together complete performances when four or more girls end the game with double digits.

So far this season, Heiden has struggled against top opponents. She's only a sophomore, so it isn't too alarming to see her minutes dip significantly against Iowa State and UConn. That said, it would sure be nice to see her lead the way against PSU and drop 20+ for the third time this season.

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