The 2026-27 Iowa women's basketball season is rapidly approaching, especially now that media day has come and gone. 

While their men's basketball counterpart has instilled a renewed sense of hope into the Hawkeye faithful after advancing to the Elite Eight, anything short of the Elite Eight is almost disappointing on the women's side. 

Those are just the massive expectations that come with all of the post-Caitlin Clark Final Four hype, and though we're still a few weeks away from the ball being tipped off in 2026-27, the national media continues to place Iowa under a microscope. The preseason polls haven't been released yet, but ESPN listed the Hawkeyes at No. 7 in their preseason top 25. 

There's a lot of good reason for that, as Iowa returns many key starters from a 27-win team. Head coach Jan Jensen bolstered her roster with more pieces to engineer a deep NCAA tournament run, and that started with the guard position. 

Here's our 2026-27 Iowa women's basketball guard preview:

Year: Third 

Height: 5-foot-4 

Though Wright is the shortest player on the team, her impact is gigantic. Jensen and Co. absolutely hit a gold mine when they brought in Wright from Georgia Tech last year, as she rewarded Iowa with 12.5 points and four assists per game - including a remarkable 44% from three-point range. There's no reason why those numbers can't repeat this year, especially since Wright has emerged as more of a vocal leader in the locker room. 

Yes, you heard that right. Despite boasting the nickname "Chit-Chat," Wright has never been very vocal in her career. Jensen wants that to change, and she's got a good reason for wanting Wright to be more talkative. Iowa's offense sputtered in the postseason with Wright running the show, and neither Jensen or Wright want that to happen again. 

"My individual goal is just being a better teammate, leading with my voice vocally, so I think we just try to block out all the noise [expectations] and just focus on what we have going on, Wright said. 

Chatty or not, Wright's role on this Hawkeye team isn't going to change. She's going to facilitate Jensen's new 4-out, 1-in offense, and Iowa fans should expect big things from Wright. 

Year: Third 

Height: 5-foot-9

Jensen's M.O. in the transfer portal seems to be finding talent from the state of Georgia. If Carnegie turns out anything like Wright did last season, then Iowa will be excellent shape. The Mount Vernon, New York native was easily Jensen's top offseason acquisition, and one look at Carnegie's numbers is all you need to see. 

After spending one season with Wright at Georgia Tech, Carnegie transferred to Tech's biggest rival - Georgia - for her sophomore season. Though the Bulldogs didn't make it out of the first round, it sure was a spectacular individual season for Carnegie, as she recorded 17.8 points, 5.3 boards, and 3.2 assists per game en route to unanimous first-team All-SEC honors. 

A coaching change reunited Carnegie with Wright and her former Georgia Tech assistant coach LaSondra Barrett, and though Carnegie hasn't played a game for the black and gold yet, there's every reason to believe her success in the SEC will translate to the Big Ten. The media doesn't get to watch much practice in the summer, but the best word I can use to describe Carnegie is dynamic. She's so fluid when she has the basketball, and I have a feeling the 4-out, 1-in offense is going to be a perfect system for her.

Year: Third 

Height: 5-foot-10 

It's almost impossible to fathom Stremlow is only a third-year because she's been a major contributor for Iowa since her freshman campaign. She may end up coming off the bench, but experience wins in college basketball, so Jensen may keep her in the starting lineup. No matter what role Stremlow lands in 2027, she should play a major part in the Hawkeyes' success. 

It's very unfair to compare Stremlow to Kate Martin, who was "The Glue" for Iowa during her career, but Stremlow's game is very similar to Martin's. Opposing defenses are probably going to swarm Carnegie on the wing, and that's just fine for Stremlow, who will use her opportunistic instinct to score the basketball or find another open teammate. The Verona, Wisconsin native reached double-figures in four of the last five games to close the regular season, and though the scoring came to a screeching halt in the postseason (1/10 from three in the second round loss to Virginia) Stremlow can win you basketball games in so many different ways. That matters. 

Year: Second 

Height: 6-foot 

Houston could very well crack the starting lineup on opening night because of her rebounding (5.1 RPG last season). Jensen is concerned about her guard-heavy team having success on the glass this season, but she did mention Houston as a name she wants to see step up in that area. Though Houston is listed as a guard, she is versatile enough to step in and play the four if needed, which is something she did last season when Hannah Stuelke was in foul trouble. That's a major plus for this Hawkeye team. 

Houston is still very young in her career, but it feels like she's poised to take a major leap in 2027. 

Year: Fourth

Height: 5-foot-10 

It's very rare to start every game of your college basketball career (with two teams nonetheless), but that's something Amari Whiting can say. The Idaho native spent her first two seasons playing for her mother, Amber, at BYU before moving to Oklahoma State for the 2025-26 season. Though the Cowgirls made the NCAA tournament, Whiting opted to transfer one more time to Iowa. She hasn't played a game for the Hawkeyes yet, but Iowa fans are going to like the fact that she is a defense-first player. The Hawkeyes' defense is already playing lights out under assistant coach Sean Sullivan, so that mentality is only going to help things. 

But make no mistake about it, Whiting is also a capable scorer, too. She's averaged around 10 points per game throughout her three years of college basketball and her field goal  (42.5%), three-point (32.1%) and free-throw (71.6%) last season were all career-marks. 

Year: Second 

Height: 6-foot-1 

The Georgia connection doesn't stop with Wright, folks. While she was overshadowed by her star teammate Carnegie on the Georgia Bulldogs, Jensen and Co. hope Faison can develop into a key role player this season. The minutes probably won't be as high as some of the other players on this list, but the Hawkeyes feel like Faison, who's only a second-year, will blossom into a pivotal piece of their rotation down the road. Faison posted 1.3 points and 1.4 rebounds per game for Georgia last season. 

Year: Fourth

Height: 5-foot-6 

Medina brings plenty of experience, but not from a source you would expect - Division III Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. The jump from D-III to the Big Ten will certainly be a challenge for Medina (she admitted that she's a little nervous), but if you look past her former D-III status, you'll see a fantastic scorer. The Tucson, Arizona native ranked second in D-III with 23.6 points per game for the Prairie Fire and shot it at a 46.9% clip from the floor and 35.6% from three-point range. Medina's free-throw shooting is also something to note, as she was an 86.9% foul shooter last season. 

Medina should be a fantastic depth addition for the Hawkeyes this year, and considering how poorly Iowa shot it from distance in the postseason last year (5/29 in the second round loss to Virginia), having a capable perimeter shooter is far from a bad thing for this team. 

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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]