"Why not Iowa?" 

That was the phrase Amari Whiting used when she explained her decision to transfer to Iowa women's basketball in the spring. 

The Hawkeyes have blossomed into a destination program for many players, but only a select few are able to wear the Black and Gold. 

Successful stops at BYU and Oklahoma State earned Whiting a lot of interest when she threw her name into the transfer portal. Iowa, which was looking for guard depth after a disappointing postseason exit, quickly reached out to Whiting. 

Hawkeye head coach Jan Jensen knew Whiting because of her longtime relationship with Whiting's AAU coach Natalie Williams, and that friendship paid massive dividends in Whiting's recruitment. 

"I [told Natalie that I] need a copy and paste version of you, because she's just so positive, and just brings the best out of you, like truly believes in you, which therefore makes you believe in yourself," Whiting said at media availability Thursday. 

Jensen's similar personality wore out, and Whiting became a Hawkeye. 

"I just feel like this is a great fit," Whiting said. "She [Jensen] has a great culture." 

Jensen's strong culture trickles down to the rest of the players, and Whiting has experienced a positive impression of that during her short time on campus. Star guard Taylor Stremlow is Whiting's roommate, and the pair have enjoyed decorating their apartment and spending free time by the pool. 

The off-the-court bonding has helped Whiting easily adjust to her new home, something that was more challenging when she joined Oklahoma State last year. 

"It's been way easier this next time. I mean, these girls have just been great, the culture Jan has built, and just who they are, they're good people," Whiting said. 

While the summertime is a great way for teammates to get to know one another and begin practice, in just a few months, that will all be in the past. School will start in August, followed by intense fall practices and eventually the start of the season in early November. 

Whiting is still trying to grasp Iowa's offensive system, but all signs point to her having little trouble with that. Spending a year in Oklahoma State's fast-paced, transition-heavy offense helps, but the primary factor that could help Whiting adjust even faster is because of a unique fact - she's a coach's kid. 

Whiting played under her mother, Amber, for two seasons at BYU before Amber was fired after Whiting's sophomore season. Whiting enjoyed playing for her mom, but admitted that the pressure of playing for a parent is massive.

Not only are there politics involved, the player is going to be forced to work 100 times harder than their peers. That was difficult at times for Whiting, especially as she battled an ACL injury, but she does think the experience helped her be a more-coachable player. 

"Obviously, seeing it in the college side, it's a lot different from high school. So, I think just being not a coach's kid now, but just also understanding the process behind that, it's been easier [to adjust] but also I think that helps them [the Iowa coaches] out a little bit," Whiting said. 

"She's a sponge. She's a quick learner," Jensen said. "She's just so eager and coming in with a lot of experience, and just a really bright light. She's really engaging. She's so happy to be here." 

Whiting enters her final season of her college career with an additional nugget - she's started every college basketball game she's ever played in.

It's possible that streak could end with the Hawkeyes because of established guards Stremlow and Chit-Chat Wright already in the lineup, but Whiting doesn't care. She's going to do whatever it takes to help Iowa win basketball games. 

"I take pride in my defense, so for me, [it's] defense first," Whiting said. "I want to guard the best person every night, but also just come and get buckets, knock down the open shots." 

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HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at [email protected]