Iowa's women's basketball team held its ground at No. 10 in the Nov. 9 update to the AP Top 25 poll, surviving a road loss at UConn without slipping a single spot.
The Hawkeyes sit level with UCLA, which earned the same 469 points from AP voters, according to Yahoo Sports. The ranking comes after a 2-1 start to the 2026-27 season.
How the Hawkeyes got here
Iowa opened the year with two lopsided wins at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, beating Towson 73-45 and Eastern Illinois 80-39. The first real test came Sunday on the road against UConn, where the Hawkeyes fell 91-79.
UConn star Sarah Strong dropped a career-high 39 points in that game, but Iowa's fight to the final buzzer apparently left an impression on voters. Instead of dropping the Hawkeyes, the poll panel kept them right where they were.
For a program still building its identity in the post-Caitlin Clark era, holding a top-10 spot after a loss to a blue blood is a sign the voters see real staying power in Iowa City.
Balanced scoring carrying the load
Through three games, the Hawkeyes are winning with depth rather than one superstar. Guard Dani Carnegie leads the team at 15.0 points per game on 40.0% shooting from the field.
She is far from alone. Chit-Chat Wright is averaging 14.7 points, Ava Heiden 12.3, and McKenna Woliczko 12.0, giving Iowa four players scoring in double figures. That balance figures to matter once Big Ten play ramps up and opposing defenses cannot simply key on one player.
Big Ten flexes its muscle in the rankings
The Big Ten placed 10 programs in the top 25, a show of force that should make for a brutal conference schedule. No. 2 Michigan leads the pack after jumping three spots with an upset of then-No. 2 UConn, a result that shook up the top of the poll.
Behind Michigan sit No. 3 USC, the tied No. 10 pair of Iowa and UCLA, No. 16 Washington, No. 17 Ohio State, No. 18 Minnesota, No. 19 Maryland, No. 22 Illinois, and No. 25 Nebraska. Michigan State picked up three votes but did not crack the rankings, USA Today reported.
For Iowa fans, that list means the Hawkeyes will face ranked opponents nearly every week once conference play begins. Surviving that gauntlet will tell us whether this No. 10 ranking is a floor or a ceiling.
UConn loss a measuring stick, not a setback
Sunday's game in Storrs was the kind of early-season test coaches actually want. UConn needed a career night from Strong to put Iowa away, and the Huskies needed a bounce-back win of their own after coughing up the ball 19 times in a loss to Michigan earlier in the week, On3 noted.
Iowa shot well enough and competed on the glass, but defensive lapses against an elite scorer proved costly. Those are fixable problems in November, and head coach Jan Jensen's group now has film of exactly where it stands against the sport's best.
What's next for the Hawkeyes
Iowa returns home looking to build momentum before the schedule toughens. The nonconference slate gives the Hawkeyes a chance to tighten rotations and keep four scorers in rhythm before Big Ten games arrive.
The full AP Top 25, along with the coaches poll, is tracked all season at ESPN.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Iowa ranked in the AP Top 25?
Iowa is No. 10 in the Nov. 9 AP Top 25 poll, tied with UCLA at 469 points each.
Who beat Iowa this season?
UConn defeated Iowa 91-79 on the road on Sunday, with Sarah Strong scoring a career-high 39 points for the Huskies.
Who leads Iowa in scoring?
Guard Dani Carnegie leads the Hawkeyes at 15.0 points per game on 40.0% shooting through three games.
How many Big Ten teams are ranked?
Ten Big Ten programs are in the top 25, led by No. 2 Michigan, with No. 3 USC, No. 10 Iowa and UCLA, No. 16 Washington, No. 17 Ohio State, No. 18 Minnesota, No. 19 Maryland, No. 22 Illinois, and No. 25 Nebraska.