Even after a group of transfer portal departures, Iowa women’s basketball successfully retained its core stars and went out and added some firepower via the transfer portal, too.
As Jan Jensen readies for Year 3, she could be gearing up with her best squad yet. ESPN thinks highly of the Hawkeyes in its post-transfer portal way-too-early top 25 rankings.
ESPN was already high on the Hawkeyes in its initial way-too-early top 25 rankings immediately following UCLA’s national championship victory over South Carolina. Iowa checked in at No. 9 nationally in ESPN’s initial batch of rankings.
Now, after this transfer portal cycle, ESPN moved Iowa up three spots to No. 6 nationally in its updated way-too-early top 25 rankings.
Not to be outdone by Michigan or USC, Iowa also made some significant additions that will put the Hawkeyes in position for a Big Ten title run. Bringing in Dani Carnegie from Georgia gives coach Jan Jensen a dimension she hasn’t had in her two seasons at Iowa: a combo guard who can score from anywhere on the court. Carnegie will join former Georgia Tech teammate Chazadi Wright in the backcourt. The frontcourt also has what should be a prolific duo of leading scorer Ava Heiden (18.0 PPG) and the highest-rated recruit for the program since Caitlin Clark in 6-2 versatile forward McKenna Woliczko. – Charlie Creme, ESPN
The top five in front of Iowa according to ESPN shakes out like this: No. 1 South Carolina, No. 2 UConn, No. 3 Duke, No. 4 Michigan and No. 5 USC.
But, it’s clear that Iowa’s returning core and its blend of additions from the transfer portal and in five-star signee McKenna Woliczko has caught ESPN’s early attention.
Iowa brings back a core that features point guard Chit-Chat Wright, backcourt pieces Taylor Stremlow and Journey Houston and centers Ava Heiden and Layla Hays. The Hawkeyes signed Georgia transfers Dani Carnegie and Jocelyn Faison and Oklahoma State transfer Amari Whiting along with Woliczko.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa women’s basketball among elite in ESPN’s way-too-early top 25 rankings
Reporting by Josh Helmer, Hawkeyes Wire / Hawkeyes Wire
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