Chit-Chat Wright spent much of the offseason going back to one game over and over again.
Nearly every day, she rewatched Iowa women’s basketball’s loss to Virginia, looking for the moments where things slipped and the places she could have been sharper. For Wright, the film study wasn’t about dwelling on the past. It was about turning that frustration into fuel.
“I just kept rewatching and seeing what I could have done better,” Wright said during the Hawkeyes’ summer workouts Tuesday, July 7. “Although I can't go back in the past, I still can work on things to get better for the upcoming season.”
That mindset matters for an Iowa team that will look very different in the 2026-27 season. Wright is one of just five returners from last year’s roster and one of three returning starters, and the 5-foot-4 point guard will also be working alongside former teammate Dani Carnegie, who transferred from Georgia to Iowa this year.
Wright and Carnegie already have a built-in connection. The two played AAU basketball together and have long shared chemistry on the floor. When Carnegie entered the transfer portal, Wright said they talked a little bit about Iowa, but she wanted her future teammate to make the call on her own.
Carnegie has already packed plenty into her first summer with the Hawkeyes. After committing to Iowa, she was part of USA Basketball’s 3×3 team and then made it back to Iowa City for her first summer practice July 7.
The pairing gives Iowa a contrast in styles that assistant coach Lasondra Barrett sees clearly.
“I think I always say Dani brings a side, she's opposite of Chat. Chat’s kind of very cerebral, very quiet processes.
Dani’s the complete opposite. She's a firecracker, and she's just excited,” Barrett said.
“I think, she brings Chat’s voice out more, and I think Chat probably brings a more calmness with her, so they've always been a really good yin and yang since they were young kids.”
The summer work is about more than chemistry, though. Iowa’s workouts are built around habits, getting newcomers comfortable in the system and helping the staff figure out what the lineup might become.
For Wright, it’s also about a bigger personal push. She wants to become one of the best point guards in the country, and the coaching staff has noticed the difference in her this offseason. Barrett said Wright has returned with more confidence, more volume, and a stronger sense of who she is.
“She came back just with a different aura,” Barrett said. “I think she's way more vocal.
I think she's a little bit more confident. … I think she came and really assessed who she was (last season).”
Wright’s production already gave Iowa a strong foundation last season. She averaged 12.5 points per game and finished with 138 assists against just 63 turnovers. But after reliving that NCAA Tournament second-round loss to Virginia, she said she’s carrying a new edge into the next season.
“I just had this different mentality of I know what it takes to get to that point,” Wright said. “And I just really want my teammates to be successful, and this program to be successful, so I'm just going to do whatever it takes to get to that point.”
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For players and fans alike, the moment carried a weight that went well beyond the novelty of the matchup with the Firefighters. Bananas pitcher Trystan Levesque was among those visibly affected, and team founder Jesse Cole said the crowd and players felt the emotion in the building. It was the kind of scene that reminded everyone why the Wave resonates so deeply, even in a weekend built around entertainment. [Read more 🡒]
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Combs looks like the kind of player who could make the biggest leap if his expanded role translates into consistent production, while Koch enters as the top returning scorer and the guy who seemed to find another gear late in the year and into March. Iowa also has to sort through a transfer class that could alter the pecking order, which is why this feels less like a settled depth-chart exercise and more like an open competition. The Hawkeyes know they need a new offensive face, but the answer may not be obvious until the season starts to unfold. [Read more 🡒]
Former Hawkeyes Just Delivered A Summer League Reality Check
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Payton Sandfort, meanwhile, had a far rougher night and Bennett Stirtz did not get on the floor, a reminder that Summer League can change quickly from one game to the next. All four former Hawkeyes are expected to be back in action in Las Vegas, where the next chance to make an impression will come fast and the competition for minutes figures to be even tighter. [Read more 🡒]