Iowa women's basketball head coach Jan Jensen laid out her vision for the 2026-27 season at the program's annual media day on Tuesday, telling reporters that a retooled roster and a new offensive approach have the Hawkeyes positioned for a special year in Iowa City.
Jensen, entering her third season at the helm after taking over for Lisa Bluder, spoke at length about offseason development, the addition of transfer guard Dani Carnegie, and a planned shift to a four-out, one-in offensive scheme built around junior post Ava Heiden. The full press conference was published Tuesday by Yahoo Sports, and a portion of the team's practice at Carver-Hawkeye Arena was open to media members the same day, according to Hawk Central.
Jensen's third season begins with a blend of old and new faces
The roster, as is now routine in the transfer portal era, mixes returning players with newcomers. Carnegie, a transfer, is the highest-profile addition, while McKenna Woliczko is the lone freshman. On the other end of the experience spectrum, juniors Ava Heiden and Aaliyah 'Chit-Chat' Wright return and are expected to carry a heavy load.
Wright's development is one of the storylines Jensen addressed directly. The guard showed flashes of being, in the words of Yahoo Sports' coverage, 'absolutely lethal' last season, but her shot selection and confidence in Iowa's system ran hot and cold. Having Carnegie, a familiar backcourt partner, playing alongside her could steady that trajectory.
Why the move to a four-out, one-in offense matters
Perhaps the most substantive tactical news from media day was Jensen's plan to move away from the two-post lineups Iowa used out of necessity last season. The new structure will place Heiden alone in the post with four perimeter shooters around her.
The change addresses a problem Hawkeye fans saw repeatedly last year: an over-reliance on Heiden, who at times was the team's only consistent offense. Woliczko's ability to space the floor gives Iowa a shooting threat at the forward spot it lacked, and the scheme should generate more varied scoring rather than the isolation-heavy looks that stalled in the postseason.
Jensen cautioned that the offense will take time to reach its peak, according to Yahoo Sports, but expressed confidence that the current roster fits the system better than last year's personnel did.
Replacing Hannah Stuelke's rebounding by committee
Hannah Stuelke, one of the best rebounders in recent program history, has moved on, and Jensen made clear that replacing her production on the glass will be a group effort. Journey Houston, the standout surprise of last year's freshman class, is expected to shoulder much of that burden while playing her more natural guard position and shifting to the four when matchups call for it.
Houston does not project to match Stuelke's rebounding numbers on her own, but her effort and tenacity on the glass drew praise from Jensen, who noted the sophomore has 'that dawg in her.' Jensen also said the team must become more efficient offensively so it does not need as many offensive rebounds to score, a point that aligns with the new shot-creation emphasis.
Deeper rotation should help in March
Jensen indicated she expects to play roughly nine players for most of the season before tightening the rotation in the postseason. The loss of Taylor McCabe thinned the guard rotation a year ago, but the coaching staff believes the current roster's fit with the offensive scheme will make lineup decisions easier to manage, whether the issue is foul trouble or load management.
National expectations: a top-10 team
Iowa is expected to open the season ranked in the top 10, a designation Yahoo Sports' coverage called valid given the returning talent and the offseason additions. Jensen herself downplayed early rankings, saying what matters is how the team finishes the season rather than where it starts.
The Hawkeyes are coming off a regular season that exceeded expectations followed by a postseason exit that stung. Jensen's first two campaigns showed she can develop talent; this year's roster is being viewed as her most complete since taking the job, and the early schedule will test how quickly the new offense takes hold.
What to watch as the season approaches
Three questions will define the early weeks: how quickly Wright adjusts with Carnegie next to her, whether Woliczko can hold up as a freshman in the frontcourt, and how the four-out offense functions against quality nonconference opponents. The answers will go a long way toward determining whether Iowa can contend for a Big Ten title and a deep NCAA Tournament run.
For a fan base that watched Caitlin Clark elevate the program to national prominence and then saw the transition years follow, the 2026-27 season represents a chance to reestablish Iowa as a consistent contender rather than a rebuilding project. Jensen's press conference suggested she believes the pieces are in place.
Tip-off is roughly three weeks away, and the full media day press conference is available through BVM Sports for readers who want Jensen's comments in full.
For more Hawkeye coverage, including how the men's program is shaping up under Ben McCollum, see our reporting on Tim Lester's quarterback decision process and the Hawkeyes' Big Ten NIL landscape.