IOWA CITY — Last year, the Iowa women’s basketball team “had next.” This year, second-year head coach Jan Jensen elected to highlight the youthfulness of her roster and a need for patience.

The Hawkeyes feature nine freshmen and sophomores on their 14-woman roster for the 2025-26 season. It's the youngest team since 2012 for the program.

Five-star guard Addie Deal headlined the incoming group which included sophomore transfers Chazadi "Chit-Chat" Wright and Emely Rodriguez and four-star prospects Layla Hays and Journey Houston.

Jensen says the underclassmen bring an infusion of talent to the roster. However, she also does not expect to start the season close to a finished product.

“We have whole lot of great youth,” Jensen said. “… We have a lot of great youth that are coming in with

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