What's Next for Iowa Women's Basketball? Looking at Realistic Expectations

To say that the 2025-26 season for the Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball team ended with a sour taste could be rather correct, if not even slightly understated. After making a run to the Big Ten Tournament final, things ended quickly after.

Despite earning the right to host the first two rounds of the NCAA Women's Tournament, the Hawkeyes were bounced in the Round of 32 by Virginia and went out without a whimper, marking the second consecutive season this team hasn't made the Sweet 16.

Head coach Jan Jensen is entering her third season at the helm and will have a new-look roster to boot, but she needs to do more if Iowa wants to be who it thinks it is in women's college basketball.

Iowa Women's Basketball Roster Shuffling

Mar 31, 2026; Glendale, AZ, USA; McKenna Woliczko (20) during the McDonalds All American Girls Game at Desert Diamond Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Iowa saw some shuffling with its roster after the conclusion of the 2026-27 season. Departures to the transfer portal include Addie Deal, a former five-star recruit, Kennise Johnson, Callie Levin, Teagan Mallegni, and Emely Rodriguez.

Veteran contributors Kylie Feuerbach, Hannah Stuelke, and Taylor McCabe also saw their eligibility expire and will force Iowa to seek on-leadership on the court and in the locker room from others.

Iowa did land Dani Carnegie, Amari Whiting, Ella Stromdahl, and Jocelyn Faison via the portal. They will also see McKenna Woliczko, a five-star recruit with the ability to start from day one, join the roster via the traditional recruiting path.

Realistic Expectations for Iowa Women's Basketball and Jan Jensen

Iowa head coach Jan Jensen reacts late in double overtime against the Virginia Cavaliers March 23, 2026 during a Round of 32 NCAA March Madness game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

So, what is next for Iowa? The Caitlin Clark era is in the rearview mirror, and many remnants from the chapter of Iowa women's basketball history have since departed. It is a new era in Iowa City and one that is quietly at a turning point.

Round of 32 exits in March Madness for a program with the support Iowa has in its fanbase, the roster it can construct, and the national spotlight it gets is simply not enough, and, if we can be honest, downright disappointing.

What's realistic for this program, though? The Big Ten has its usual players in UCLA, Michigan, and Ohio State. Is Iowa on that level? The program views itself that way, but another early exit in 2026-27, and it's hard to say they belong.

Realistically, Iowa is simply going to out-talent a lot of teams on its schedule and in the Big Ten by the roster it has built. That's one reality of the situation. Iowa has not won fewer than 20 games in a season since 2015-16. With the talent gap in women's basketball, pencil this team in for at least 20-22 wins as the floor.

The pressure is on head coach Jan Jensen. Even with a 50-18 record at Iowa, the resources and expectations are too high for early exits. This team is an NCAA Tournament-caliber team entering 2026, and anything short undoubtedly creates a hot seat, but it may be a year away from serious contention.

With a roster mending many new pieces together, the 2026-27 campaign for the Iowa Hawkeyes could very well be a set-up year with an eye on the 2027-28 season being when Iowa takes its shot.

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