Washington guard Sayvia Sellers will present a tough challenge for Iowa's defense. Tip off is set for 6:30 CST.
Thirteen days ago, Iowa women's basketball was on top of the world.
The Hawkeyes were a perfect 9-0 in Big Ten play, and though they faced a tough West Coast trip to USC and UCLA, the feeling was that Iowa would navigate its way through one of those games.
Jan Jensen's team dropped both of those games, but a good bounce-back opportunity at home remained on the table - rival Minnesota. The Hawkeyes were poised to do just that early on, but a furious shooting performance by the Gophers ended those hopes and sent Iowa tumbling to a third straight defeat.
After nearly a week off, the Hawkeyes (18-5, 9-3) will have a chance to get back off the mat against No. 25 Washington (18-6, 8-5) on Wednesday evening at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Game Information
Time: 6:30 p.m. CST
TV: BIG+ (Ryan Paris, Karch Smith)
Location: Iowa City, Iowa
Arena: Carver-Hawkeye Arena
The rundown
After qualifying for its first (and only) Final Four appearance in 2016, Washington has made the NCAA tournament just twice since then. The Huskies' 2025 berth was their first since 2017 and first under head coach Tina Langley.
Langley arrived in Seattle in 2021 after an impressive six-year run at Rice, where she won 126 games and reached one NCAA tournament. Langley's rebuild of the Huskies has been a slow one, but her 2026 team is easily her best one yet.
One of the reason's for Washington's success this season is junior guard Sayvia Sellers. The Anchorage, Alaska native is the Big Ten's fifth-leading scorer - averaging 19.9 points per game - and her 38 points helped lead the Huskies to a signature win at then-No. 16 Maryland on Jan. 28. Sellers also leads Washington in assists (3.5) and steals (1.7) per game, likely placing her at the forefront of Iowa's gameplan.
Sophomore guard Avery Howell has also been a key sidekick for Sellers, averaging 13.9 points (behind Sellers) and 8.3 rebounds per game.
Along with its win over Maryland, Washington also boasts a win over No. 7 Michigan, but it also has a head-scratching loss to bottom-feeder Purdue. The Huskies come in at No. 31 in the NET, and ESPN's Charlie Creme listed them as a No. 7 seed in his latest bracket projection.
Washington posts 73.3 points per game in conference play, while allowing the the fourth-fewest points (68.1). Rebounding has been a strength for the Huskies, as they've record 39 boards a contest in league play.
Prediction: Iowa 73, Washington 70
I'm still shocked Minnesota came into Iowa City and won last week, but it's hard to see the Hawkeyes dropping a second straight game at Carver. Washington is a very good team and they'll give Iowa a run for its money, but the Hawkeyes will find a way to squeak out a win.
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