2026 Johnston PG Jenica Lewis talks summer season, updates recruitment
2026 four-star point guard Jenica Lewis out of Johnston, Iowa has been on the radar of women’s basketball fans in the state of Iowa for quite some time now, despite just now entering her sophomore year of high school. Lewis received offers from Iowa and Iowa State way back in the summer of 2021 just before she was an eighth grader. Two years later and her recruitment stretches much further than the state of Iowa.
“Me, my parents and coaches do a good job of spreading out the times and conversations and don’t let it effect with my day to day life,” said Lewis on how she has handled receiving 37 scholarship offers before her second year of high school.
Lewis is rated as the #1 player in Iowa by Prep Girls Hoops and the #23 player in the country per ESPN. Her offer list is just as impressive as you would expect for someone ranked that highly. She has offers from Iowa, Iowa State, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Indiana, Ohio State, North Carolina, Maryland, Louisville, Michigan, UCLA, Nebraska, Illinois, Georgia, Colorado, Ole Miss, Creighton, Kansas State, Mississippi State, Marquette, Miami FL, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Kansas, USC, Arizona State, Northwestern, Minnesota, Penn State, Kentucky, Missouri, Florida, Michigan State, TCU, Oklahoma State and Dayton.
She has taken her fair share of visits as well, including trips to Iowa, Iowa State, Florida, Louisville, Oklahoma State, Michigan State, Michigan, Texas, Creighton, Indiana and most recently, a trip out to USC. It is clear that she wants to see a lot of schools in person before she makes any decisions. Jenica is still not yet sure when she wants to cut down her options to a smaller list.
“Haven’t really thought about it too much right now,” said Lewis. “End of sophomore year maybe junior year…the style of play is a big (factor) one, but also the way the coaches treat their players, loyalty is important to me and relationships.”
“They come to my games and show that they care. I contact them every once in awhile, but always staying in touch,” said Lewis on the Iowa coaching staff.
Jenica spent her summer playing with her Pure Prep 17u AAU team coached by her dad. Her efforts on the court throughout the summer got her named to the Prep Girls Hoops First Team All-State Summer AAU team, which also had notable names like Jordan Speiser, Divine Bourrage and Ava Zediker.
“The summer was good, we played well and competed. Some of my favorite tournaments were Boo Williams and Run for the Roses. I felt like I played pretty well and played my best,” said Lewis. “I learned that I’ve got to be a leader and people look up to me and count on me to play my best.”
Along with her summer with Pure Prep, Lewis was also one of 52 players to be selected to compete at the 2023 USA Women’s U16 National Team Trials in Colorado Springs, CO. She spent five days competing at the team trials, but was cut in the initial downsize from 52 to 22 players.
“Just an amazing opportunity to get to compete for a spot,” said Lewis. “Team USA was an amazing experience just to be invited and compete with the best of the best, and just to be where olympians have been is a blessing.”
With the summer season in the rearview mirror, Jenica is turning her focus towards her second year at Johnston High School. Last year as a freshman for the Dragons, Lewis averaged 12.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Johnston finished with a 24-2 record and advanced to the 5A State Championship Game, where they fell to Pleasant Valley.
“(I want to work on) being a leader for my team and just competing and working on my game and what I need to improve on,” said Lewis. She says overall consistency and her midrange game is where she wants to improve most this season.
