Iowa will enter the 2025-26 women’s college basketball season off a 23-11 (10-8 Big Ten) finish that saw the Hawkeyes advance to their seventh straight NCAA Tournament.
It was the ninth consecutive tournament in which Iowa earned a No. 6 seed or better. Iowa topped 11th-seeded Murray State before falling to host and No. 3 seed Oklahoma.
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Iowa is replacing a pair of starters in guards Lucy Olsen and Sydney Affolter and center Addison O’Grady who started 18 games last season and played in 136 during her Hawkeye career.
In order to address those departures, Iowa added a pair out of the transfer portal to go along with its 2025 signing class. Now that next season’s roster has fully materialized, let’s take a look at a projected starting lineup and rotation.
Iowa women’s basketball projected starting lineup
Chazadi ‘Chit-Chat’ Wright, 5-foot-4, Point Guard
Mar 7, 2025; Greensboro, NC, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets guard Chazadi Wright (1) dribbles the ball during the first quarter against NC State Wolfpack at First Horizon Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images
Iowa found some much-needed backcourt help with its first transfer portal addition. The Hawkeyes signed Georgia Tech transfer guard Chazadi “Chit-Chat” Wright.
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The 5-foot-4 guard started 12 games and played in all 33 with the Yellow Jackets last year as a freshman, averaging 7.2 points, 2.6 assists and 2.2 rebounds per game while shooting 37.1% from the field, 32.3% from 3-point range and 88.6% from the free-throw line.
According to ESPN, Wright was a four-star signee in the 2024 class and the nation’s No. 49 player overall. With both Olsen and Aaliyah Guyton moving on from the program, Iowa needed a steady hand at point guard and the Hawkeyes found that with Wright.
A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Wright will have three seasons of eligibility remaining.
Addie Deal, 6-foot, Guard
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 01: Addie Deal seen on the court during the 48th Annual McDonald’s All-American Games with halftime performance from GloRilla at Barclays Center on April 01, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Natasha Campos/Getty Images for McDonald’s)
A five-star signee and a member of the McDonald’s All-American Team, Addie Deal averaged 19.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 3.4 steals per game as a senior.
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The Mater Dei High School product from California was ranked as ESPN’s No. 23 player nationally in the 2025 class. Though she could handle the point guard duties if called upon, Deal gets to play off ball to start thanks to the addition of Wright.
Emely Rodriguez, 6-foot, Small Forward
Emely Rodriguez’s official visit to Iowa was on May 12; she signed with the Hawkeyes a week later.
Emely Rodriguez was an All-Big 12 Freshman Team member last season with UCF after averaging 11.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game on 40.9% shooting from the floor, 33.3% from the 3-point arc and 75.3% from the free-throw line.
The 6-foot guard and forward can handle the basketball, drive to the bucket and step out and connect from deep. Rodriguez looks like a natural replacement for Affolter, though the Dominican Republic native will need to up her 3-point accuracy. But, the ability to get on the glass and be a three-level scorer is there.
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Hannah Stuelke, 6-foot-2, Forward
Iowa forward Hannah Stuelke (45) is announced in the starting lineup against the Northwestern Wildcats Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.
A key cog for Iowa over each of the past three seasons, Hannah Stuelke will now be looked to for senior leadership and consistent production. The 6-foot-2 big needs to elevate her game in order for Iowa to be the best version of itself.
Stuelke earned All-Big Ten second-team honors from the media last season after averaging 12.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game on 49.8% shooting and 67.5% foul marksmanship. The Cedar Rapids product has registered 61 double-figure games, 11 double-doubles and 10 20-point performances during her Hawkeye career.
Stuelke’s field goal percentage figure from last season was down more than 10 percentage points as compared to her first two seasons on campus with Caitlin Clark helping create easy looks inside and in transition.
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Stuelke now has one season minus Clark under her belt and can hopefully find some of those easier bunnies with Deal and Wright directing traffic.
Ava Heiden, 6-foot-4, Center
Iowa’s Ava Heiden (5) runs off the field following the first round of the NCAA Women’s college basketball game between Iowa and Murray State at the Llyod Noble Center in Norman, Okla., Saturday, March, 22, 2025.
The Sherwood, Oregon, product demonstrated plenty of reasons to be excited about her future during her freshman campaign, including a trio of breakout performances down the home stretch of last season.
Heiden scored in double-figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively, during the Hawkeyes’ Big Ten Tournament games against Michigan State and Ohio State. Then, in Iowa’s NCAA Tournament opener, Heiden scored 15 points and grabbed seven boards.
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Heiden played in 28 games last season, averaging 5.0 points and 2.6 rebounds per game on 56.1% field goal shooting and 70.5% from the free-throw line.
Iowa women’s basketball bench, rotation
Journey Houston, 5-foot-11, Guard
Journey Houston poses for a portrait Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023 at Davenport North High School. © Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK
Can Journey Houston factor into the equation straight away? The 5-foot-11 guard from Davenport North was tracking to be one of the highest-rated players in the 2025 class before a knee injury ended the final half of her junior year and that AAU season.
Iowa will need someone to handle the basketball that isn’t either Deal or Wright. Could Houston morph into that third ball-handler with the Hawkeyes’ second wave?
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Chances are that either Deal or Wright will spend some time with Iowa’s second unit, but finding another ball-handler that can give each of those two a breather at the same time would free Iowa up to comfortably start Deal and Wright together.
Kylie Feuerbach, 6-foot, Guard
CLEVELAND, OHIO – APRIL 05: Kylie Feuerbach #4 of the Iowa Hawkeyes reacts after scoring a three point basket against the UConn Huskies in the first half during the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal game at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on April 05, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Kylie Feuerbach made the decision to return for the Hawkeyes and that’s huge for Jan Jensen and Iowa. A starter over the past two seasons, Feuerbach is one of Iowa’s defensive stoppers. The 6-foot guard led the Hawkeyes with 43 steals last season.
If Feuerbach is willing to accept a different role, it could help Iowa rejoin that group at the top of the Big Ten. After combining to start 58 games over the past two seasons, it wouldn’t be surprising to see coach Jensen keep Feuerbach in Iowa’s starting five.
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But, if Feuerbach moves to the second five, her defense and scoring would help to build one of the Big Ten’s best bench units.
Taylor McCabe, 5-foot-9, Guard
Iowa Hawkeyes guard Taylor McCabe (2) and the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrate winning Wednesday, March 5, 2025, in a round one game at the 2025 TIAA Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Wisconsin Badgers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The sharpshooter started 19 games last season and has played in 85 over the course of her career. Taylor McCabe has 10 career games where she’s knocked down four or more 3-pointers and 17 in which she’s connected on three or more 3-pointers.
The 5-foot-9 guard averaged 6.7 points per game and shot 40.5% from beyond the arc last season.
Taylor Stremlow, 5-foot-10, Guard
Iowa Hawkeyes guard Taylor Stremlow (1) reacts during a game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. © Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Taylor Stremlow started a pair of games and played in 32 during her freshman season in Iowa City. The Verona, Wisconsin, native registered a career-high 10 points and knocked down a pair of 3-pointers in the Hawkeyes’ NCAA Tournament win over Murray State.
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Stremlow averaged 2.4 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 46.3% from the field and 30.8% from 3-point distance.
Teagan Mallegni, 6-foot-1, Guard
Iowa’s Teagan Mallegni talks to media after practice Tuesday, July 16, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa. © Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK
Teagan Mallegni just capped her freshman season where she averaged 3.2 points and 2.1 rebounds per game on 34.4% field goal shooting. The 6-foot-1 guard needs to up her 3-point percentage from 22.8%, but Mallegni did knock down at least a pair of 3-pointers in three contests.
The McFarland, Wisconsin, product scored a career-high 13 points against Drake in November of last year.
Layla Hays, 6-foot-5, Center
Layla Hays will become Iowa’s tallest player in 12 seasons, arriving at 6-foot-5 from Wasilla, Alaska.
Layla Hays was a four-star signee and the nation’s No. 71 player according to ESPN. Out of Wasilla, Alaska, Hays averaged 16.2 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots per game as a junior.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Projecting Iowa women’s basketball starters, rotation for next season
