Here's a breakdown of some of the best teams in the Hawkeyes' region.
For the fourth time in five years, Iowa women's basketball will play NCAA tournament games in the comfort of Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Jan Jensen and Co. have put together an incredible campaign, but the road to the Final Four is just beginning. It certainly won't be an easy road, but the Hawkeyes have put themselves in pristine position to make a run to Phoenix.
Iowa is the No. 2 seed in a stacked Region 4 (held in Sacramento, California). HawkeyeRoundtable will have plenty of information about the Hawkeyes' first round opponent on Saturday- No. 15 Farleigh Dickinson - in the coming days, but before we can do that, let's analyze some of the best teams in Region 4.
No. 1 South Carolina
The Hawkeyes and Gamecocks have major history with each other, meeting in the 2023 and 2024 Final Fours. Caitlin Clark engineered a historic upset over then-undefeated South Carolina in the 2023 national semifinal, but the Gamecocks got revenge in the 2024 national championship game.
A third matchup could be in store in the Elite Eight, and South Carolina looks poised to get there. 6-foot-3 forward Joyce Edwards averages 19.6 points per game, and Raven Johnson, who played in both of those Iowa-South Carolina matchups, chips in 10.3 points and a team-high 5.4 assists per contest.
Bart Torvik has the Gamecocks 3rd and 4th in adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency, respectively. This team is more than capable of cutting down the nets for the fourth time under Dawn Staley.
No. 7 Georgia
The Bulldogs are of keen interest to Hawkeye fans, as they could be one of three potential second round matchups for Iowa. Georgia is naturally the most-likely of the three due to its higher seed, but make no mistake about it, this is a good basketball team. The Dawgs finished 22-9 in a loaded SEC and rank in the top-40 of BartTorvik's adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency rating.
Sophomore guard Dani Carnegie leads Georgia in scoring with 18.1 points per game.
No. 10 Virginia
The Cavaliers are one of two No. 10 seeds (Arizona State is the other) playing in the First Four for a crack at Georgia. Virginia was a dominant program from the 1980s to the mid-2000s, but it is making just its second appearance in the Big Dance since 2010. The Cavaliers are one of the lowest-ranked teams (No. 40) on Bart Torvik to make the field, and they come in on a three-game losing streak.
Junior guard Kymora Johnson has been the straw that stirs Virginia's drink, leading the Cavaliers in points (19), assists (5.9), and steals (2.2) per game.
No. 10 Arizona State
Arizona State has been one of the biggest surprises in college basketball this year. One year after winning 10 games, first-year head coach Molly Miller has this program back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2021. Defense is where the Sun Devils shine, clocking in at No. 15 in Bart Torvik's adjusted defensive efficiency ranking.
No. 3 TCU
TCU emerged as a national contender with a 34-4 mark and Elite Eight berth last season, and the Horned Frogs confirmed they're here to stay this year - going 29-5 and winning the Big 12 regular season crown. Mark Campbell's team ranks in the top-20 in both adjusted and defensive efficiency, and senior Olivia Miles (19.6) won Big 12 Player of the Year honors.
No. 4 Oklahoma
Des Moines native and former Iowa player Jennie Baranczyk has done an incredible job with Oklahoma. The Sooners blew out the Hawkeyes in last season's Round of 32 en route to the program's first Sweet 16 appearance in 12 years.
Oklahoma hasn't missed a beat this year, going 24-7 in a loaded SEC - including a win over South Carolina in January. Senior center Raegan Beers can do it all for the Sooners, collecting 15.7 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.
No. 6 Washington
Coach Tina Langley has the Huskies in the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive season. Washington lost six of its final 10 games after beginning the season 17-4, but Sayvia Sellers is a nightmare for any opposing team in this tournament. Sellers leads the Huskies in points (18.5), assists (3.7), and steals (1.5).
No. 5 Michigan State
The Spartans took a bit of a tumble down the standings after losing to Iowa on Jan. 18, but this is a team very capable of making a run in this tournament. Bart Torvik ranks Michigan State's offense No. 12 in the country, and sophomore guard Kennedy Blair is a big reason why. She averages 14.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per contest.
No. 9 USC
After losing Ju-Ju Watkins to injury at the end of last season, not much was expected of USC this year. Despite losing Watkins for the entire 2025-26 campaign, Lindsay Gottlieb's squad turned their season around with a win over Iowa on Jan. 29. Though the Trojans finished the year on a four-game skid, their six-game winning streak was enough to earn it an at-large bid.
Freshman sensation Jazzy Davidson has filled Watkins' role admirably, leading USC in just about every statistical category this year - points (17.6), rebounds (5.7), assists (4.2), steals (2.0), and blocks (2.0).
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