With the 2025-26 Iowa women’s college basketball season just a few weeks old and the Hawkeyes off to an impressive start, ESPN has released its latest Women’s College Basketball bracketology forecast with the Hawkeyes taking another slight dip from its initial preseason projection.
Despite the Hawkeyes blowing out each of their opponents while averaging 94.8 points per game through four games via stellar offensive production from Chit-Chat Wright (14.5 ppg), Ava Heiden (14.3 ppg), Layla Hays (13.0 ppg), and Hannah Stuelke (12.0 ppg), ESPN’s Nov. 18 update to their 2026 Women’s College Basketball bracketology projection has shifted the Hawkeyes to the No. 7 seed in the Sacramento (Region 2) quarter. According to the revision, they are predicted to face the No. 10 seed Fairfield from Norman, Oklahoma.
The rest of Iowa’s pod features host Oklahoma, the No. 2 seed, against No. 15 Western Illinois. Here’s a look at the rest of Iowa’s regions and more from the newest ESPN bracketology.
Iowa women’s basketball seeding
Seeding: No. 7 seed in the Sacramento (Region 2) quarter.
A look at Region 2 Sacramento
No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 16 St. Bonaventure
No. 8 Stanford vs. No. 9 Kansas.
No. 5 Louisville vs. No. 12 Colorado State
No. 4 Ole Miss vs. No. 13 Idaho State
No. 6 Duke vs. No. 11 Murray State
No. 3 Iowa State vs. No. 14 Stephen F. Austin
No. 7 Iowa vs. No. 10 Fairfield
No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 15 Western Illinois
Projected No. 1 seeds
Top Overall Seed: UConn
Other No. 1 Seeds: South Carolina, Texas, UCLA
On the bubble
Last Four Byes: Oregon, Virginia Tech, Minnesota, Kansas
Last Four In: Mississippi State, UNLV, Texas Tech, Belmont
First Four Out: Georgia, Oregon State, George Mason, Illinois
Next Four Out: Florida State, Auburn, Utah, Kansas State
Conference bids breakdown
Big Ten: 12 (Iowa, UCLA, Nebraska, Maryland, Indiana, Minnesota, Washington, Oregon, USC, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State)
SEC: 9
ACC: 8
Big 12: 7
Atlantic 10: 2
Ivy League: 2
MVC: 2
Mountain West: 2
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa women’s basketball slips in updated ESPN bracketology
Reporting by Scout Springgate, Hawkeyes Wire / Hawkeyes Wire
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