Jan Jensen isn’t hiding from what happened in March. She just doesn’t want Iowa to sit in it.
The Hawkeyes are 12 days away from their first real look at this new group against Maryville, and there’s plenty of reason for optimism in Iowa City. Only five players are back from last season, but this roster still looks built to contend.
Iowa finished as the Big Ten runner-up a year ago and earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament before everything came crashing down with a double-overtime loss to No. 10 seed Virginia at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes went just 5-of-29 from three-point range in that upset.
That defeat still lingers, and Jensen knows it. When asked about the comparison to Iowa’s last opening-weekend loss as a No. 2 seed in 2022, she made it clear that disappointment can be a tool if a team is willing to use it that way.
"I haven't really brought that up yet. I think we knew -- maybe not what's going to happen the next year, like oh, this could possibly happen going that far.
More so, anytime you have a disappointment is utilizing it for growth," Jensen said. "Certainly no one was more disappointed than myself or the young women in the locker room."
"Hey, March happens. You're sometimes on the most magical parts of March, and every now and then you can be on the most devastating parts of March. If you're not willing to take the risk to be part of March, then this is probably not the profession for you."
For Chit Chat Wright, that loss has stayed close. She has gone back and watched it several times since last season ended, and that feeling has helped fuel her offseason work. Wright is expected to be one of the Big Ten’s most dynamic point guards this year, and Iowa’s staff has spent the offseason reshaping pieces around her.
The Hawkeyes moved to a four-out offense, and the roster got a major talent injection. Dani Carnegie arrives as an all-SEC transfer guard.
Amari Whiting comes over from Oklahoma State as a crafty, versatile veteran who brings defense, toughness and tenacity on the inside. Georgia transfer Jocelyn Faison adds four years of eligibility, defensive ability and plenty of upside.
Jensen believes those additions give Iowa a real chance to make a deeper run.
"We did a lot of study and growth, and we're using it to certainly have a wonderful journey. This year they've set ourselves up certainly to have a fun, fun March, but I don't spend a whole lot of time in the rearview mirror other than you have to keep a little bit of it in your heart to kind of motivate you, and certainly there can be some exciting thoughts, knowing what has occurred in the past."
There’s also a chance for this group to build something lasting. One of the defining traits of Iowa’s recent success was continuity; the Hawkeyes had the same starting lineup for three straight years, which is rare anywhere.
With the new five-for-five rule, Jensen believes this roster could chase that kind of stability again. Carnegie, Ava Heiden, Wright and Taylor Stremlow each have three years of eligibility remaining, while Journey Houston has four.
"They had a lot of time together. I think every coach in the country will tell you, those teams that were able to stay together three, four years, there's just something about that because they've been through the wringer.
They know a system. Now you're able to recruit people from the portal, certainly add some freshmen.
There is a learning curve with that. Six people weren't here last year when that happened.
The five that were, they have that motivation with them."
Iowa enters the season as a top-10-caliber team, but Jensen knows the pieces won’t click overnight. The offense is new, the chemistry is still forming, and the Hawkeyes will need time to sort it all out. Still, with multiple all-conference players on the roster and a system that looks dangerous on paper, the ceiling is obvious.
Jensen has not gotten Iowa past the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament since taking over after the ’24 season. This group, though, has a real chance to change that.
"I think it's a little different story left to right, but certainly one that I will draw upon, I think, as that time gets closer."
In Other News...
Kirk Ferentz Is Suddenly In A Conversation Iowa Fans Didn't Expect
Iowas strong start has turned the second half of the 2026 season into something Hawkeyes fans may not have seen coming for a while: a legitimate path into the College Football Playoff discussion. At 5-1, with a favorable schedule ahead, the Hawks have positioned themselves in a place where the usual expectations around the program suddenly feel a little too low, especially with the team showing real balance on offense, defense and special teams.
Kirk Ferentz is starting to come up in a conversation that once seemed unlikely, too, with analyst Brandon Walker already floating him as an early Coach of the Year candidate if Iowa keeps this pace. There is still plenty for the Hawkeyes to clean up before any bigger talk becomes meaningful, but the combination of results, schedule and overall team play has given the season a different kind of edge, one that keeps Iowa fans watching every week a little closer than usual. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Faces A Different Kind Of Pressure At Minnesota
Saturdays trip to Minneapolis brings a different kind of pressure for Iowa, even with the Hawkeyes listed as 6.5-point favorites. A road game at Huntington Bank Stadium against Minnesota has a way of turning routine Big Ten weekends into something more tense, especially with kickoff set for Saturday and Iowa trying to keep its momentum intact while dealing with the usual noise that comes with playing away from home.
Hank Brown is expected to be available after missing the previous game with an injury, which gives Iowa another layer of stability heading into the matchup. The game will be on FS1 and streamed on Fubo, and while the betting line points in Iowas direction, the Hawkeyes will still need to handle a Minnesota team that tends to make opponents earn everything. [Read more 🡒]
Hawkeyes Land Big Recognition As One Iowa Star Keeps Making History
Kade Pieper and Zach Lutmer are giving Iowa a nice midseason snapshot of where the program stands, and it comes with recognition that reaches beyond the usual weekly grind. Pieper earned AP Midseason All-American First Team honors after starting 19 games at right guard, a sign of how steady the Hawkeyes have been up front, while Lutmers work at safety put him on the list of quarterfinalists for the Lott IMPACT Trophy.
The broader Iowa sports picture kept piling up, too. Kylie Welker added to her own growing legacy with a third straight gold medal at the Under-23 World Wrestling Championships, and Iowa womens basketball reportedly got the better of Oklahoma State in a closed-door scrimmage. For a program that loves to point to breadth as much as depth, it was the kind of day that reminded everyone how many places Iowa keeps showing up in the national conversation. [Read more 🡒]