Inside The Hawkeyes

Two Things Iowa Needs To Prove vs. UCLA

There are two things in particular the Iowa Hawkeyes need to prove against the No. 2 team in the country.
Jordon Lawrenz|
Jan 29, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans guard Kennedy Smith (11) is defended by Iowa Hawkeyes guard Addie Deal (7) as she drives to the basket in the first half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Jan 29, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans guard Kennedy Smith (11) is defended by Iowa Hawkeyes guard Addie Deal (7) as she drives to the basket in the first half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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Iowa Hawkeyes

No one expected the Iowa Hawkeyes to fall to USC, but that's the harsh reality of playing in the B1G.

Any team can pull out a win at any given moment, and that's exactly what happened to the Hawkeyes against an unranked foe who had been neck-and-neck with some of the best.

Ultimately, their West Coast trip didn't start off on the right foot. Now, as a reward, they get to play the nation's No. 2 team.

UCLA is the only remaining undefeated team in the conference, so Iowa has a ton to play for, as a loss would drop them from first to third in no time.

1. They're A Contender

The first thing Iowa needs to prove is simple. With all these projections making them a No. 2 seed in March Madness, Iowa can't afford to suffer a big loss to the Bruins. Playing at their place is no easy feat, but that doesn't mean Iowa doesn't have what it takes to get the job done.

Coming off their 81-69 loss, that's just much harder to imagine, especially knowing how Iowa looked against No. 1 UConn last December. The Huskies had their way with this Hawkeyes team, and now UCLA gets their chance at taking down an Iowa team that is without Taylor McCabe.

Iowa Hawkeyes guard Taylor McCabe
Dec 20, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Taylor McCabe (2) dribbles the ball against the UConn Huskies during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Pamela Smith-Imagn Images | Pamela Smith-Imagn Images

To no surprise, the second thing Iowa must prove revolves around their senior guard. Iowa has long been praised for their depth, but it's going to take all they have to go toe-to-toe with one of the deepest and most experienced teams in college basketball.

2. They Can Operate Without Taylor McCabe

It's a little harsh to say Iowa looked lost without McCabe, but her presence was dearly missed against the Trojans. Second-year head coach Jan Jensen wasn't going to sugarcoat things postgame, as these final eight games are going to be extremely difficult to navigate without her.

The likes of Taylor Stremlow, Journey Houston and Addie Deal must all prove their worth against UCLA. Houston had a stellar effort against USC, leading the team in points for the first time in her career. Deal is fresh off her first career start, but that didn't translate to success.

It'll be interesting to see if Jensen has Stremlow start any games the rest of the way. She stepped into that role when Chit-Chat Wright went down, so now it's just a matter of figuring out what lineups work and who should play with whom down the stretch.

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

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Jordon Lawrenz
JORDON LAWRENZ

Jordon Lawrenz serves as the Eastern United States College Recruiting beat writer On SI. Jordon is an accomplished writer covering the NFL, MLB, and college football/basketball. He has contributed to PFSN’s and Heavy’s NFL coverage. Having graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay with a Sports Communication and Journalism degree, Jordon fully embraced the sports writing lifestyle upon his relocation to Florida.

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