Jenica Lewis, a 5-star recruit for Iowa women’s basketball, sets a decision date.
Prized Iowa women’s basketball recruit and 2026 five-star shooting guard Jenica Lewis has disclosed the day and time of her eagerly awaited commitment announcement after traveling to Iowa City on October 25 and witnessing Hawkeye football’s exciting victory over Minnesota.
Lewis revealed on Tuesday night that she is deciding between four elite universities that have prioritized her recruitment: Iowa, Notre Dame, Oregon, and TCU. On Thursday, Nov. 6 at 6 p.m. CT, the 5-foot-10 guard will formally announce her college choice, a moment that many in the Iowa basketball community will be closely following.
Lewis is ranked No. 17 in the country and No. 5 among combo guards in the 2026 class by Rivals, while she is ranked No. 24 overall by ESPN. She is ranked as the No. 4 shooting guard, the No. 22 overall recruit, and the top prospect in the state of Iowa by 247Sports’ composite rankings, which further solidify her status as one of the nation’s best guards and the best of Iowa’s own talent.
Lewis, a native of Johnston, Iowa, is well-known in the community’s basketball scene. She is a standout player for Johnston High School, where her ability to create plays, shoot, and play defense have made her one of the country’s most complete guards. She averaged 18 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.5 steals per game on 47% field goal shooting, 35% three-point shooting, and an incredible 88% free-throw shooting last season, earning her the title of 2024–25 Iowa MaxPreps High School Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
Lewis’ choice might be a turning point in the Hawkeyes’ post-Caitlin Clark history. Lewis is a top priority for Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder and her staff, who want to keep the in-state star near home. For top recruits like Lewis, the opportunity to perform in front of sold-out audiences at Carver-Hawkeye Arena has grown even more alluring since Clark’s historic run elevated the Hawkeye brand on a national scale.
Lewis would be the second significant “jewel” added to Iowa’s potentially historic 2026 recruiting class, which already includes five-star forward McKenna Woliczko. The Hawkeyes are still very much in the running for another top prospect in the class, five-star forward Addison Bjorn. Lewis’ addition would give Iowa one of the strongest young cores in the country and send a strong message about the program’s ongoing success.
As Jenica Lewis makes her choice on Thursday night, everyone will be watching. She is undoubtedly positioned to become one of the next big names in women’s college basketball, regardless of whether she chooses to play for her home team or transfer her skills to another elite program.
