Ranking the top players Iowa WBB will face during the 2025-26 season

We are just over a month away from the Iowa Women’s Basketball season opener, which means it’s almost time for preseason coverage to start ramping up. With 18 teams in the Big Ten Conference, plus a tough non-conference schedule, the Hawkeyes will be facing plenty of talented players throughout the season. HawkeyeReport takes a look at some of those names, including a ranking of the top 15 players Jan Jensen and Co. will go up against this year.

Others Considered: Amaya Battle (Minnesota), Addy Brown (Iowa State), Jayln Brown (Michigan State), Theryn Hallock (Michigan State), Ra’Shya Kyle (Miami FL), Charlisse Leger-Walker (UCLA), Raegan McGowan (Western Illinois), Kiyomi McMiller (Penn State), Gracie Merkle (Penn State), Natalie Potts (Nebraska), Britt Prince (Nebraska), Gal Raviv (Miami FL), Taliah Scott (Baylor), Sayvia Sellers (Washington), Kaylene Smikle (Maryland), Ashley Sofilkanich (Michigan)

16. Washington guard Elle Ladine

One of several returning players for Washington, senior guard Elle Ladine had a breakout year last season, leading the Huskies in scoring and helping them to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017. A Second Team All-Big Ten selection, Ladine averaged 17.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, while her 77 made threes ranked second-most in the conference. She scored in double figures in 28 of 33 games, including a career-high 40 points and six made threes against Northwestern. Ladine is back for her senior season looking to help the Huskies to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time since they made it in ’16 and ’17.

15. Minnesota guard Mara Braun

This ranking is fully dependent on whether or not redshirt junior guard Mara Braun can stay healthy for a full season. That hasn’t been the case through the majority of her Gopher career, as she has played in just 56 of 102 games, including playing in just five games before suffering a season-ending injury last season. During the 2023-24 season, Braun averaged 17.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists, earning All-Big Ten Honorable Mention selection. She has scored in double figures in 38 of her 56 career games, including a career-high 34 points against Lehigh as a freshman. If Mara can stay healthy, she is an All-Big Ten caliber player and Minnesota is a for sure NCAA Tournament team.

14. Ohio State guard Jaloni Cambridge

One of four sophomores featured in these rankings, former five-star guard Jaloni Cambridge made a major impact for Ohio State as a true freshman last season. She started all 29 games for the Buckeyes, averaging 15.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game, earning First Team All-Big Ten honors and Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Year. She posted double figures scoring in 23 of 29 games, including a season-high 33 points against Michigan State. With the transfer of Cotie McMahon to Ole Miss, Cambridge will be the face of the Buckeyes roster this season.

13. Michigan guard Syla Swords

One of two Wolverine sophomores on this list, ’24 five-star guard Syla Swords would have broken the Michigan freshman scoring record with her 527 points, but her teammate Olivia Olson (coming later) outscored her by six points. Swords started all 34 games, averaging 16.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, earning Second Team All-Big Ten honors. She scored in double figures in 25 of 34 games, including putting up 27 points and 12 rebounds against South Carolina in her first career game. Swords was tied for fifth in the Big Ten with 71 made threes.

12. Michigan State forward Grace VanSlooten

A former Oregon transfer, forward Grace VanSlooten was a major addition for the Spartans last season, and she’ll be a headliner for MSU again this year. She played in 31 games, including 23 starts, averaging 15.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, earning Second Team All-Big Ten honors. VanSlooten tallied seven doubles and scored in double figures in 29 of 31 games, including a career-high 29 points against USC. She shot 52.1% from the floor last season, which ranks third-best amongst returning Big Ten players. The Spartans are looking to make their third consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012-2014 and VanSlooten is MSU’s top player.

11. Michigan guard Olivia Olson

Now for the other Wolverine sophomore on the list, guard Olivia Olson was the #15 player in the ’24 recruiting class and showed it, totaling 533 points, a Michigan freshman scoring record. Olson started all 34 games, averaging 16.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists earning Co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. She scored in double figures in 29 of 34 games, including ten 20+ point games and a season-high 30 points against Wisconsin. Olson was one of just four Power 4 true freshmen to average 10+ points per game, while shooting 45.0%+ from the floor and 38.0%+ from three-point range.

10. USC guard Kara Dunn

With JuJu Watkins out for the season due to a torn ACL, USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb went into the portal and found a scorer to add to the roster. Georgia Tech transfer guard Kara Dunn led the Yellow Jackets in scoring last season and was a top 20 player in the portal. Dunn started all 33 games for GT, averaging 15.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game, earning First Team All-ACC honors for a Jackets team that went 22-11. She scored in double figures in 27 of 33 games, including a season-high 33 points against Virginia Tech, while she did have a 39-point game against Georgia State as a sophomore.

9. Maryland forward Yarden Garzon

Tied for the most appearances against Iowa out of everyone on this list, Yarden Garzon will play the Hawkeyes for the sixth time in her career this season, but this time, it will be with Maryland. Previously with Indiana, Garzon was in the thick of what felt like a bit of rivalry between the Hawkeyes and Hoosiers. A two-time Second Team All-Big Ten selection, Yarden tallied 1,204 points and 220 made three-pointers over three years at Indiana. Last season, Garzon averaged 14.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game, while leading the Big Ten with 88 made triples. She scored in double figures in 27 of 33 games, including a career-high 35 points against Washington. Garzon has totaled 62 points (12.4 ppg) and is 14 of 25 (56.0%) from three-point range against Iowa.

8. Baylor guard Darianna Littlepage-Buggs

The first of five players the Hawkeyes will face in non-conference play, Baylor senior guard Darianna Littlepage-Buggs is one of the top returning players in the Big 12 Conference. Over 28 games, Littlepage-Buggs averaged 13.8 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, earning First Team All-Big 12 honors for a Bears squad that finished with a 28-8 record. She posted double figures scoring in 19 games and tallied 11 double-doubles. Littlepage-Buggs put up a season-high 26 points against BYU and totaled a career-high 20 rebounds against UNLV, which was the highest single-game total in the NCAA last season.

7. UCLA guard Kiki Rice

This list goes from guard heavy early to frontcourt dominated late, but there are a couple left, and UCLA guard Kiki Rice is one of the best ball-handlers the Hawkeyes will face this season. Rice appeared in 34 games, with 33 starts, helping the Bruins to their first ever Final Four appearance, averaging 12.8 points, 5.0 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game, earning First Team All-Big Ten honors. She put up double figures scoring in 26 of 34 games, including a season-high 23 points against Richmond, while she also tallied ten assists against Michigan and Rutgers. With two teammates ahead of her on this list, Kiki doesn’t need to blow you away with her stats to be successful, but she is one of the top players Iowa will face.

6. UConn guard Azzi Fudd

One of the top prospects to go off the board in the 2026 WNBA Draft, guard Azzi Fudd is the first of three UConn Huskies on this list. Fully healthy for the first time since her true freshman season, Fudd averaged 13.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, earning First Team All-Big East honors, as well as Final Four Most Outstanding Player. She shot 47.4% from the floor, 43.6% from three-point range and led the team with 79 made triples. Fudd put up double figures scoring in 22 of 34 games, including a career-high 34 points and eight made threes against St John’s. With other stars around her, Azzi won’t always put up gaudy numbers, but she made 3+ threes in 13 games and averaged 17.5 points per game during the Huskies NCAA Tournament Championship run.

5. UConn forward Serah Williams

The other player that has a lot of familiarity with the Hawkeyes, forward Serah Williams is tied with Yarden Garzon for the most games played against Iowa (5) out of anyone in these rankings. Previously with Wisconsin, Williams was the star player for the Badgers but went 0-5 against Iowa. Now with UConn, she’ll really have a chance to show what she can do with talent all around her. Last year, at Wisconsin, Williams started all 30 games, averaging 19.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.3 blocks per game, earning First Team All-Big Ten and All-Defensive Team honors. She finished top six in the conference in blocks (69), made field goals (224), field goal percentage (49.3%) and rebounds (295). Williams tallied 14 double-doubles, with a career-high 36 points against Butler and season-high 17 rebounds against Ohio State. It will be very different seeing Serah Williams with UConn rather than Wisconsin.

4. Iowa State center Audi Crooks

A top three center in all of women’s college basketball, Audi Crooks is the first of two centers in the top five of this list. A former four-star recruit, Crooks became was an immediate star, becoming Iowa State’s first ever Freshman All-American. Last season, Crooks started all 36 games, breaking the ISU single-season scoring record (820 points), averaging 23.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, earning Third Team All-American honors. She ranked second in the country in usage rate (33.3%) but still managed to rank tenth in two-point percentage (62.0%). Crooks finished the year with ten double-doubles, while she scored in double figures in all 36 games, including a season-high 36 points against Kansas State. The Cyclones haven’t met preseason expectations, but Crooks has outpaced what people expected of her through two seasons.

3. UCLA guard Gianna Kneepkens

One of the top transfers in all of women’s college basketball, former Utah guard Gianna Kneepkens will be the best transfer that the Hawkeyes face this season when she takes the floor with UCLA. A First Team All-Pac 12 selection as a sophomore, Kneepkens played just eight games before a season-ending injury as a junior. Last season, as a redshirt junior, Gianna had the best year of her career, averaging a team-best 19.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game, including being just one of six players nationally to make at least 90 three-pointers (94). She nearly completed a 50-40-90 season, shooting 50.4% from the floor, 44.8% from three-point range and 89.0% from the free throw line. Kneepkens scored in double figures in 28 of 31 games and made 3+ threes in 16 games, including a career-high 32 points and six made threes against both BYU and UCF. She was rated as the #4 player in the transfer portal by ESPN.

2. UConn forward Sarah Strong

It shouldn’t be a surprise that the #1 overall recruit in the ’24 class was the best freshman in all of women’s college basketball last season, but UConn forward Sarah Strong could very well be the best player in the country next season. Strong started all 40 games for the national champion Huskies, averaging 16.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists and 2.3 steals per game. She was named Big East Freshman of the Year, WBCA National Freshman of the Year and an AP Second Team All-American, breaking the UConn freshman rebounding record (356) and finishing second behind Maya Moore for most points scored by a UConn freshman (657).

1. UCLA center Lauren Betts

The favorite to win National Player of the Year and National Defensive player of the Year, UCLA center Lauren Betts is the best player in women’s college basketball. A starter in all 34 games for a Final Four team, Betts averaged 20.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.9 blocks and 2.7 assists per game. She earned a bevy of honors, including AP First Team All-American, Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, Lisa Leslie Center of the Year and NCAA Tournament All-Tournament Team. Betts posted double figures scoring in 32 of 34 games and tallied 19 double-doubles, including a career-high 33 points against Maryland. She ranked eighth in two-point percentage (64.8%), second in block rate (9.5%) and sixth in offensive rebounding rate (15.9%). Betts is most certainly the best player the Hawkeyes will face all season.