Iowa Hawkeyes Women’s Basketball Looking Scary for the 2026-27 Season

Since the Caitlin Clark era, Iowa women’s basketball has continued to dominate the Big Ten Conference. The momentum that they had back in 2023 has carried them to a successful 2025-26 season. Unfortunately, the Hawkeyes have lost many key players to graduation or the transfer portal. They’ve been in a period of rebuilding and will continue to rebuild during the off-season. Recently, there have been a few commitments that seem promising for the Hawks as they look to extend their winning streak.

Big Time SEC Transfer for the Hawks 

Jan Jensen knew that she’d need some help from the transfer portal after her team lost in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The Hawkeyes lost two of their guards to the portal, one being freshman Addie Deal, who had been looking promising for them. The second-year coach knew she’d need to score a major transfer during the off-season. On April 14th, Iowa announced the signing of guard Dani Carnegie to the team. Carnegie, who spent two years playing for Georgia, averaged 17.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. She will be a massive addition to the Hawkeyes’ already stacked team. 

Former Oklahoma State Guard Transferring to Iowa

In addition to the talent coming in from Georgia, Jan Jensen recruited another star guard to her team. Amari Whiting spent two years at BYU before transferring to Oklahoma State. She is now making her way to Iowa City to spend her last year of eligibility with the Hawks. The soon-to-be senior averaged just under 10 points per game in her time at Oklahoma State and proved herself as a consistent scorer. She also averaged 71% at the free-throw line. With Iowa’s loss of two guards, Whiting is the perfect player to come in and make an impact. 

Iowa Women’s Basketball in Good Hands 

While Jan Jensen has been elbows deep in the transfer portal, she’s also been polishing up the talent of her current team. The departure of Hannah Stuelke, Taylor McCabe, and Kylie Feuerbach signals the loss of three impactful players, but the Hawkeyes have plenty of talent to spare. Ava Heiden has been a breakout player during her Sophomore season at Iowa. She looks to return for her junior season and increase her already impressive stats. Guards Taylor Stremlow and Chit-Chat Wright are also key returners for the Hawks. These shifty guards average 7.9 and 12.5 points per game, respectively. With the help of the incoming freshmen and transfer players, Iowa seems to be in good hands for the upcoming season. The Big Ten Conference should be watching out for this team.