Layla Hays Changes Her Mind and Prefers North Carolina to Iowa What appeared tong touch for Iowa women’s basketball’s 2025 recruiting class has abruptly moved east. The center Layla Hays, a 6-foot-5, four-star prospect from Wasilla, Alaska, has declared her intention to switch her commitment from Iowa to North Carolina. And by making that choice, one of the most intriguing players in the 2025 class simultaneously altered the course of two Power Five programs.
As one of the nation’s fastest-rising frontcourt prospects, Hays first committed to the Hawkeyes. She was highly sought after nationwide and selected Iowa last year over finalists Nebraska, Duke, North Carolina, Indiana, Washington, Illinois, and Gonzaga. She was ranked No. 71 in ESPN’s 2025 recruiting rankings. Additionally, programs like Iowa State, Tennessee, Maryland, and Kansas State had shown a great deal of interest in her.
Iowa seemed to be the ideal location at the time. During her recruitment, she frequently talked about the Hawkeyes’ culture, coaching staff, and fan base, as well as how close-knit the team felt. However, Hays started reassessing her options as the months went by and her senior season came to an end. Her recruitment quietly reopened after she looked more closely at programs that offered a different developmental track and those that were closer to her family. The turn then arrived.
After further discussions, follow-up visits, and a better understanding of the role she desired in college, Hays finally concluded that Chapel Hill would be the location of her next chapter. Long a contender in her initial recruitment, North Carolina made a late comeback by providing the combination of academics, athletic development, and program momentum she felt she needed. She made the switch official after reevaluating everything and, according to people close to her, doing a lot of introspection.
For Iowa, which saw her as a long-term anchor in the position, her departure is a huge loss. The Hawkeyes’ current frontcourt talent would have complemented Hays’ size, mobility, rebounding, and shot-blocking skills. Rather, under head coach Courtney Banghart, she will contribute that skill set to a program that has been rising through the ACC in recent seasons.
Hays is a major producer wherever she performs. She was crucial to the Warriors’ success over the previous two years at Wasilla High School. Despite playing through a broken foot in the middle of the season, she averaged 16.2 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks as a junior, helping her team win the ASAA Class 4A state championship. She might have been out of commission for months due to that injury. Rather, she persevered and finished the state tournament with 25 points, 33 rebounds, and 10 blocks in three games.
She is one of the toughest and most effective post players in the nation, and her senior year only served to confirm what assessors already thought. She won Alaska Player of the Year for the second time in a row while averaging 15 points per game. The flip will hurt Iowa supporters. Hays had raved about her first trips to Iowa City, even claiming that the fervent fan base made her feel at home. She claimed that all other schools were evaluated against Iowa at the time, and none of them performed well.
However, hiring is a very personal, emotional, and fluid process. Additionally, the school that seemed ideal at the beginning of the process may not fit later. The Hays’ addition is a significant victory for North Carolina. Banghart has been building long, mobile, skilled players who can defend, run, and stretch the floor, and Hays fits the bill. The Tar Heels have been steadily accumulating size, versatility, and high-end recruits. Coaches rave about her toughness alone.
Additionally, the move offers Hays a new chapter, a new system, and a new beginning on a stage where she will have the opportunity to develop into one of the most influential bigs in the ACC. She traveled the nation during the recruiting process, dealing with injuries, championship runs, and tough choices. She is now traveling to Chapel Hill. Additionally, UNC has grown both literally and figuratively.
