Jan Jensen and her recruiting team are hitting all the right notes as they set the stage for future success. With the addition of five-star forward McKenna Woliczko and Swedish talent Ella Stromdahl to the 2026 class, the program is on a roll.
Woliczko, one of the standout players in her class, represents the kind of high-caliber recruit Jensen is becoming known for. Despite the brief tenure of Addie Deal, landing back-to-back five-star prospects is becoming a trend that shows no signs of slowing down, with eyes already on the 2027 and 2028 classes.
Iowa recently made a significant move by hosting top prospect Jhaliana Guy for an unofficial visit, a clear signal of their intent to secure her talents. The program has been laser-focused on the 2028 recruiting class, extending offers to several promising prospects. The decommitment of Jhaliana Guy from Stanford was a golden opportunity for Iowa, who wasted no time in rekindling her interest and inviting her to Iowa City.
Guy, a four-star guard from Clinton High School in Iowa, is currently the top-ranked prospect in the state and 15th overall nationally. She averaged a remarkable 24.4 points per game as a sophomore, setting a program record.
Jensen and her team are pulling out all the stops to bring Guy to Iowa City, recognizing her as a key piece in their recruiting puzzle. Her early recruitment is crucial, as she is expected to be a sought-after player as the process unfolds.
With Woliczko already in the fold, Iowa boasts a formidable lineup of bigs, including Ava Heiden and Layla Hays. The focus now shifts to bolstering their backcourt. The addition of sharpshooter Jada Seubert in the 2027 class and the pursuit of combo guard Mya Wilson, Minnesota's top prospect, highlight Iowa's strategic approach.
For the 2028 class, Iowa has offered nine players, all ranked as four-star prospects, with Guy being the crown jewel. The emphasis on enhancing guard depth is clear, especially with key players like Dani Carnegie and Amari Whiting nearing the end of their eligibility. The new five-year, age-based eligibility rules add an interesting dynamic, but the strategy remains: signing top-tier guards is a priority.
Guy's offensive prowess and versatility make her a perfect fit alongside Seubert and potentially Wilson, creating one of the most formidable backcourts in the nation. Jensen's priority is clear: securing Guy would be a massive win, not just because of her local roots, but due to her immense potential to transform the program's future.
In Other News...
Brad Underwood Is Right In The Middle Of A Big Ten Debate
Ben McCollums first year in Iowa City gave the Hawkeyes a real foothold in a Big Ten coaching conversation that only gets louder as the league keeps shifting around them. Iowa did not look like a team stuck in transition for long stretches, and the programs recent Elite Eight run under the previous staff still hangs over the way people measure what the ceiling can be if the pieces keep coming together.
Brad Underwood is part of that wider debate because Illinois has been one of the leagues standard-bearers on the offensive end, and his recruiting has kept the Illini in the mix year after year. But when the discussion turns to the coaches who have shaped the conferences hierarchy, Matt Painters staying power and roster management remain hard to ignore, which is why the rankings around these names feel less settled than ever. [Read more 🡒]
Ava Heiden Made One Big Offseason Choice Iowa Fans Need To See
Ava Heiden already arrived in Iowa City with the kind of rsum that makes a roster better the moment she steps on the floor. Last season, the post player was one of the top bigs in womens college basketball, putting up 18.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting with impressive efficiency, then backing it up with First Team All-Big Ten recognition and AP All-American Honorable Mention.
This offseason, though, Heiden made a choice that says plenty about where her priorities are. Rather than spending the summer away from campus, she stayed in Iowa City to keep working with the Hawkeyes, take part in an internship and attend leadership conferences, a setup that keeps her plugged into the program and around younger teammates who can learn from her. For Iowa, that means one of its most proven players is using the summer to deepen her role in more ways than one, even as the bigger payoff from that decision is still unfolding. [Read more 🡒]