For the second straight season under head coach Jan Jensen, Iowa women’s basketball is off to a perfect 7-0 start. The team’s 86–69 win over Western Illinois on Wednesday night wasn’t their most impressive or dominant performance that fans have seen. But sometimes, especially during a long season, a win is just a win. And since Iowa was missing two important guards, Chit-Chat Wright and Teagan Mallegni, the Hawkeyes will gladly take this one and move on.
There were a lot of good things that happened, even though the rotation was short. Some were expected, and some were pleasantly surprising. Young players stepped up, established contributors kept coming forward, and a few worries that had been around for a while came up in the conversation. With that in mind, here are the most important things to remember from Iowa’s midweek win over the Leathernecks.
Ava Heiden looks like the next big thing in Iowa. If anyone was wondering if Ava Heiden could keep up the early-season buzz about her breakout, Wednesday night was a big yes. The sophomore center, who had just been named Big Ten Player of the Week, had another great game that caught the eye. Heiden scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in just 18 minutes, making 6 of 7 shots from the floor. She even got three steals, which showed off the defensive skills that made her such a great prospect coming out of high school.
Heiden was one of Iowa’s most eagerly awaited recruits in years, and her growth under Jensen—who has a reputation for turning post players into stars—seems to be going exactly as Hawkeye supporters had hoped. She now plays with a confidence, a composure around the rim, and a defensive presence that Iowa sorely needs as it looks for a new identity in the wake of Caitlin Clark. Naturally, it’s still early, but this start feels like more than a couple of weeks. Heiden is providing Iowa with a reliable interior anchor, and her ascent significantly increases the Hawkeyes’ future ceiling. Iowa’s chances of making another deep postseason run become much more plausible if she keeps performing at this level.
Addie Deal is still on the rise. Addie Deal was the most anticipated freshman on the team going into the season. She was hailed by supporters for months as Iowa’s next big thing and the most eagerly awaited recruit outside of Caitlin Clark. Deal is starting to settle in and demonstrate why she came with so much buzz, even though that kind of buildup can be difficult for any newcomer.
Against Western Illinois, she scored 17 points, dished out five assists, and pulled down three rebounds in the best performance of her young career. Not only was the score timely, but it was also a career high, surpassing her prior best of 11 points against Evansville. Her command of the offense, however, was what really stood out. As a facilitator and scorer, she appeared more at ease, decisive, and willing to follow her gut.
Deal experienced her fair share of growing pains early in her career as a freshman guard. However, the skill was always present, and the polish is now beginning to catch up. Iowa needs her to grow, not just want her to. Deal’s development will be crucial if the Hawkeyes want to remain competitive well into March. She is currently going in all the right directions.
Turnovers continue to be a serious issue. After the victory, Jensen had plenty to be happy about, but she will probably spend a lot of time going over one obvious problem: turnovers. Even for a team without two guards, Iowa gave up the ball 21 times on Wednesday, which is an exceptionally high number. Although it didn’t hurt them against Western Illinois, such carelessness nearly always backfires against more formidable opponents. Yes, Wright’s absence—he starts at point guard—had a significant impact. And yes, the rotation juggling certainly didn’t help. However, Jensen is aware that her team cannot afford these ball security lapses as Big Ten play draws near. As the schedule tightens, fixing those errors will be essential.
If there is one bright spot, it is that these problems are fixable. The return of their missing guards should naturally settle the offense, and the Hawkeyes have time to correct their mistakes before Sunday’s game against Fairfield.
