Though it won't count in the win column, Iowa women's basketball returns to the Carver-Hawkeye Arena hardwood on Thursday night for an exhibition contest against the Division II Maryville Saints. 

The No. 10 Hawkeyes should have little trouble handling business in this matchup, but that's not going to be head coach Jan Jensen's goal in this one. The coaching staff will treat this game what it is - a practice - by using a variety of rotations and plays to get a better read on what they'll have when the 2026-27 regular season tips off on Nov. 2. 

There's probably going to be a good crowd inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. If you're one of those people playing to get your first live look at this team, what should you be watching for? 

We try to give you the answer here. 

Matchup: Maryville Saints @ No. 10 Iowa Hawkeyes 

Location: Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, IA 

Scheduled game time: Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. 

TV: BTN+ 

Announcers: Ryan Paris, Collin Carrithers, and Morgan Burhans 

Radio: Hawkeye Radio Network (Rob Brooks, Kathryn Reynolds) 

Student Radio: KRUI (Dom D'Angelo, Mason Hodny) 

Dani Carnegie to take control early: Carnegie is probably not going to see a lot of minutes considering she's expected to be one of the key contributors for this team, but if there's one thing that we noticed during portion of practice open to the media, it was how Carnegie could simply get buckets anywhere she wanted. The Georgia transfer was one of the top scorers in the SEC last season, so expect that to flash in limited action on Thursday. 

How Jan Jensen uses Ella Strömdahl: Iowa decided to go the international route when it nabbed Sweden native Ella Strömdahl (pronounced STREHM-doll) in mid-May, but Strömdahl didn't arrive in Iowa City until the fall semester began. She has the potential to provide wing depth in an already-loaded backcourt, but her late arrival probably made it more challenging for her to learn Iowa's system. If there's a time for Strömdahl to get minutes, it's definitely on Thursday, but it will be interesting to see how the coaching staff implements her in the rotation. 

McKenna Woliczko's first live game action: Strömdahl isn't the only first-year that Hawkeye fans will be eager to watch on Thursday - far from it. McKenna Woliczko has received hype from the moment she committed, but this exhibition game will be the first time she has a chance to show what she can do in this offense. The 6-foot-2 Woliczko can definitely do damage inside the arc, but she did tell us that she is working on her three-point shot, so we'll see if she shows the range in this game. Either way, watch for Woliczko to get some healthy minutes in this one.