Iowa women's basketball earns No. 10 ranking in preseason AP Top 25 poll

Iowa begins the 2026-27 season as the nation's No. 10 team in the preseason AP Top 25 women's college basketball poll.

The No. 10 preseason ranking marks Iowa's first preseason top-10 appearance since the 2023-24 season. The Hawkeyes opened that 2023-24 campaign at No. 3 nationally.

Iowa finished last season with a 27-7 (15-3 Big Ten) record and earned NCAA Tournament hosting status for the fourth time in five seasons. The Hawkeyes began last season at No. 21 and climbed as high as No. 7. Iowa finished as the country's No. 16 team.

Over the offseason, the Hawkeyes rebuilt their roster by adding four transfer portal players (fourth-year guards Amari Whiting and Bria Medina, third-year guard Dani Canegie, and second-year wing Jocelyn Faison) and first-year forwards Ella Strömdahl and McKenna Woliczko.

Those newcomers joins a core that features returnees such as Chit-Chat Wright, Ava Heiden, Taylor Stremlow, and Journey Houston.

Overall, the Big Ten sees nine programs ranked inside the preseason top 25. No. 3 USC leads the way, followed by No. 5 Michigan, No. 10 Iowa, No. 11 UCLA, No. 16 Washington, No. 17 Minnesota, No. 18 Ohio State, No. 20 Maryland, and No. 23 Illinois.

Nebraska (47 points), Michigan State (16 points), and Oregon (2 points).

Here's a look at the full preseason AP Top 25:

Others Receiving Votes

Nebraska 47; Arizona State 36; Baylor 31; Virginia 30; Michigan State 16; Kansas 12; Tennessee 9; Alabama 7; Syracuse 5; Villanova 5; Colorado 2; Rice 2; Oregon 2; Georgia 2; Fairfield 2; Clemson 1; Virginia Tech 1;