Before its run in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, Iowa women’s basketball (26-6, 15-3 Big Ten) received specially-designed Nike shoes from one of its biggest fans in young cancer survivor, Harper Stribe.
On Sunday night, before the excitement of the NCAA Selection Show, Iowa head coach Jan Jensen welcomed Stribe to the team’s viewing party. Stribe then presented each member of the Hawkeyes’ squad with the unique pair of shoes.
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Harper has been side-by-side with the Hawkeyes ever since the program first heard her story back in the Megan Gustafson-Tania Davis era. Diagnosed with cancer when she was only 5 years old, Stribe was in the UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital in Iowa City when she first met some Iowa women’s basketball players.
“This goes way back”, Jensen told CBS 2’s Owen Siebring. “We heard about this little gal who was in the hospital battling cancer. And the neatest thing about the young women we coach: they didn’t just go when the request was made, they continued on their own. So Megan Gustafson or Tania Davis would go over to see when her appointments were, and where they were staying.”
While continuing to visit Harper in the hospital, she signed a letter of intent with Iowa to officially become part of the Hawkeyes, where she got her own locker stall and has since provided endless inspiration for the team.
Now, the lovable Hawkeye adds “Shoe-Designer” to her resume, as she partnered with Nike to create her own shoe for the Hawkeyes to wear as they enter the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
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Hawkeyes fans can purchase a pair of Harper’s specially-designed shoes at Nike for $140.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Cancer survivor designs Nike shoes for Iowa women’s basketball
