AP voters obviously took notice of Iowa women’s basketball’s outstanding early-season statement. The Hawkeyes shot up to No. 11 in the Week 4 Associated Press Top 25 poll after dominating the WBCA Showcase with two convincing wins over then-No. 7 Baylor and Miami. It’s the biggest jump of any Big Ten team and an eight-spot increase from the previous week.
Iowa’s success feels like proof that this team has enduring power—and that a new star is emerging right before our eyes—for a group still getting used to its post-Caitlin Clark identity. In Orlando, sophomore center Ava Heiden put on one of her best two-game runs of her young career, leading Iowa to the WBCA Showcase championship and helping the Hawkeyes climb the national rankings.
With a double-double of 18 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists on 7-of-14 shooting, Heiden punished Baylor inside to start the weekend. She then had an even better performance against Miami, shooting a scorching 9-for-11 from the field while scoring 20 points and grabbing six rebounds. The Oregon native won Big Ten Player of the Week for playing with the assurance and effectiveness of an experienced star.
Heiden undoubtedly made headlines, but Iowa’s rise in the rankings was the result of a team effort. With the two showcase victories, the Hawkeyes improved to 6-0, displaying a disciplined defense, a balanced offense, and a developing sense of identity as they navigate a season full of opportunity and expectations.
With seven programs in the Top 25, the Big Ten as a whole was well-represented in this week’s AP poll. At number three, UCLA is in the lead, followed by Michigan at number six, Maryland at number seven, USC at number eighteen, Michigan State at number twenty, and Washington at number twenty-two. Among the teams that received votes, a few others—Ohio State, Nebraska, and Oregon—appeared just outside the poll.
The contrast between USC’s error and Iowa’s triumph was striking. After finishing the week 1-1, the Trojans, who had been ranked 11th, dropped seven spots to No. 18. After defeating Portland, USC suffered a devastating loss to then-No. 24 Notre Dame at the buzzer, which allowed teams like Iowa to advance. For the Hawkeyes, this week’s schedule appears doable. Iowa will host Western Illinois on Wednesday and Fairfield on Sunday in two mid-major games at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Fairfield, at 3-1, and Western Illinois, at 4-0, are both formidable but manageable rivals for a team as successful as Iowa at the moment.
There was little change at the top of the country. With 30 first-place votes, UConn maintained its position at the top, followed by South Carolina at number two and UCLA at number three. LSU and Texas completed the top five. However, early-season competitions and holiday-week showcases caused some movement in the middle of the rankings, as is typical in women’s college basketball, with a number of programs rising or falling in response to more difficult competition.
Here’s the full Week 4 AP Top 25 women’s basketball poll:
1. UConn (6–0)
2. South Carolina (6–0)
3. UCLA (6–0)
4. Texas (5–0)
5. LSU (6–0)
6. Michigan (5–1)
7. Maryland (7–0)
8. TCU (6–0)
9. Oklahoma (5–1)
10. Iowa State (7–0)
11. Iowa (6–0)
12. North Carolina (5–1)
13. Ole Miss (4–0)
14. Tennessee (5–1)
15. Baylor (5–1)
16. Kentucky (7–0)
17. Vanderbilt (6–0)
18. USC (3–2)
19. Notre Dame (4–1)
20. Michigan State (6–0)
21. West Virginia (5–0)
22. Washington (5–0)
23. Louisville (4–2)
24. Oklahoma State (5–1)
25. NC State (3–3)
Votes were cast by Stanford, South Dakota State, Ohio State, Nebraska, Richmond, Texas Tech, Princeton, South Dakota, Fairfield, Kansas, and Oregon. However, the narrative for Iowa is straightforward: the Hawkeyes are rapidly improving. People all around the nation are taking notice of the combination of excellent early-season play, rising individual stars, and a newfound sense of optimism in the locker room. Since this is the Big Ten, the schedule will soon become more difficult, but for the time being, Iowa deserves every bit of the attention that is being given to them.
