Iowa Upsets Baylor In Biggest Win of Jan Jensen Era

As part of the WBCA Showcase in Orlando, the Iowa Hawkeyes made the most of their opportunity. The world was watching on ESPN2 as No. 19 Iowa took care of business, taking down No. 7 Baylor, 57-52.

The Hawkeyes had to play quite a few minutes without star senior Hannah Stuelke. Iowa's team looked entirely different when she was on the field, though it's important to note transfer Chit-Chat Wright missed almost the entire second half as she was carried off the field. In the end, a few players stepped up as head coach Jan Jensen took home a signature win.

Iowa Puts The World On Notice

Iowa Hawkeye — Iowa guard Callie Levin (32) reaches to high-five Iowa center Layla Hays (12) Nov. 9, 2025 during a women’s basketball game against the Evansville Purple Aces at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In the end, Iowa shot just 34% from the field. That's by far their lowest total of the season, but one of the keys coming into this game was shooting more efficiently than Baylor. That didn't happen until the fourth quarter, but those final 10 minutes proved to be the difference.

Baylor didn't score a field goal for the final 6:20. They converted on a few free throws, and even though both teams had numerous lengthy scoring droughts, Iowa was the team that came out on top.

Jensen, currently in her second year as head coach, put the world on notice. While Baylor's win over Duke to kick off the season doesn't look nearly as good in hindsight, they were still the No. 7 ranked team for a reason. Iowa proved that they are deserving of much higher than a No. 19 ranking, and as long as they take care of business vs. Miami on November 22, there's no doubt they should crack into the Top 15.

A True Team Effort

Iowa guard Taylor McCabe (2) shoots a 3-pointer Nov. 9, 2025 during a women’s basketball game against the Evansville Purple Aces at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It took about 15 minutes for Baylor to get their first lead of the game, and once they did, the Bears weren't looking back. Numerous Hawkeyes went cold from the field as no one could get their shot going. In the end, there were a few unlikely heroes that proved just how deep of a squad this Iowa team is.

Taylor Stremlow's 12 bench points were a key difference as she shot 4-6 from the field and added a team high four assists. The sophomore was one of three players in double digits for Iowa as she proved to be a key contributor to their upset.

Elsewhere, sophomore Ava Heiden finished with a double double, 18 points and 11 rebounds. Senior Taylor McCabe had a few tremendous hustle plays that won't show up in the scorebook, though she did add eight rebounds of her own. Stuelke was the only other player to finish in double digits as she has 10 points and eight rebounds.

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