​Last season, the Iowa women’s basketball program outperformed preseason projections, winning 27 games and finishing second in a deep Big Ten. Although the postseason run ended earlier than hoped, coach Jan Jensen demonstrated significant progress in her second year, and there is reason to believe the momentum will carry into her third season at the helm.
Iowa returns a bright, young core, including Ava Heiden, Layla Hays, Chit-Chat Wright, and Taylor Stremlow. The Hawkeyes also bring back one of last season’s breakout talents, sophomore guard Journey Houston. As a freshman, Houston appeared in 34 games, averaging nearly 16 minutes per night. The 6-foot guard contributed 5.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game while shooting 50 percent from the floor. Despite her height, Houston impressed with her rebounding instincts, pulling down crucial offensive boards as the season progressed. Her potential has continued to grow this summer, fueling expectations that she will build on her initial promise.
Assistant coach LaSondra Barrett spoke to reporters at Tuesday’s practice, highlighting Houston’s improvement and naming her the Hawkeyes’ biggest summer surprise. “I think the mindset she’s in after not making (Big Ten) freshman team, and you can argue that she probably should have. But, I think she didn’t let that bring her down. I think she’s probably gotten in more workouts with coach Randi (Henderson) than anybody. And then just to see her put up the shots she’s putting up in the gym. You actually see the work. Came in, body slimmed down and everything,” Barrett said.
As Houston seeks to add more dimensions to her game, Barrett stressed that confidence is the most crucial element to unlock her ceiling. “She’s done well; she shot the crap out of it today… For her, it’s just confidence. We all know how she’s a gamer. She can play, but if she can really get confident, she’ll be pretty dangerous,” Barrett noted.
Last season, Houston attempted only 11 three-pointers, making them at a 36.4 percent clip on a limited sample size. Iowa envisions Houston providing guard-like versatility at the four in its four-out, one-in offensive look. Barrett explained the positional evolution: “Well, it’s different work. So, she worked a lot more at the four in the triangle. Now, she’s kind of that four-out and even trying to slide to the three, so she’s working on ball handling, she’s working on being able to guard guards, so if we have to play her at the three, she’s able to guard a ball screen. But, she can be like a very big guard for us, so I think for her, her development is key, but she’s putting the work behind it. She’ll always be rewarded with the work.”
Iowa is banking on Houston growing into an even more substantial contributor next season. Her offseason improvements are a positive signal that she can impact the Hawkeye lineup in meaningful ways. Pairing Houston with Heiden in the frontcourt offers a strong foundation for an offense seeking more efficiency and flexibility, particularly in a system that values four-out spacing and the ability to stretch the floor. If Houston continues to develop ball-handling, speed, and defensive versatility, she could emerge as a pivotal piece in Jensen’s rotation, helping Iowa sustain its upward trajectory in a competitive conference.
With a promising young group ready to take on increased responsibility, Iowa is poised to build on last season’s success. The combination of Heiden’s inside presence and Houston’s growing all-around game provides a solid starting point for a Hawkeye offense aiming to optimize spacing, protect the rim, and create more scoring opportunities from outside threats. If the team can translate offseason gains into on-court consistency, Jensen’s program could see continued progress and further postseason contention in the coming year.