Iowa women’s basketball’s second-round opponent in the 2026 NCAA Tournament is set.
After defeating FDU in the Round of 64, the Hawkeyes will take on 10-seed Virginia in the March Madness Round of 32 on Monday. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT, and ESPN will have the telecast.
The Cavaliers boast a 21-11 overall record following an opening-round win over Georgia on Saturday. Let’s take a deeper dive into the matchup and make a prediction for the second round of women’s March Madness.
Buy Iowa NCAA tournament tickets vs. Virginia
What are some of Virginia basketball’s notable results in 2025-26?
Virginia’s most notable results this season may have come in the last five days. The Cavaliers got their March Madness run started in the First Four, where they took down Arizona State. They kept the good vibes going a few days later in Iowa City when they took down 7-seed Georgia, 82-73, in overtime.
In the tail end of the season they got some nice wins as well, with victories over No. 22 Notre Dame and No. 8 Louisville. At one point in the middle of the year, they boasted a seven game win streak as well.
Who are Virginia’s top players?
Kymora Johnson is the player opposing teams really need to worry about when facing off with the Cavaliers. The junior is averaging a team-high 19 points per game and 5.9 assists per night as well. In the upset win over Georgia on Saturday, Johnson posted 28 points and hit 5-of-10 shots from beyond the arc while hitting all seven of her shots from the charity stripe.
Forward Tabitha Amanze is another player who gets things rolling for Virginia. While not as prolific a scorer as Johnson, Amanze leads the team in rebounds per game (6.1) and blocks per game (1.4), while also scoring 9.7 points per game.
Iowa vs Virginia betting odds: March Madness second round
All odds come from BetMGM
Iowa vs Virginia prediction: March Madness second round
The Cavaliers have gone on a nice little run and have certainly done their part to contribute to the madness of March, but that will end on Monday. Virginia’s zone defense might make things difficult inside for Iowa, but the Hawkeyes have the ability to make UVA hurt from beyond the arc. That will likely be the difference.
Iowa 78, Virginia 70
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa vs Virginia prediction, our pick for women’s NCAA Tournament second round
Reporting by HawkCentral staff report, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
