Kate Harpring
Iowa women’s basketball has developed into a program that can go after some of the top recruits in each class and have a legitimate shot at landing them.
The success of Caitlin Clark and the developments of Kate Martin, Megan Gustafson, and Monika Czinano — combined with the atmosphere of home games and support from the fanbase — make the Hawkeyes a desirable location for young prospects to develop their game.
With that in mind, Kate Harpring, the No. 2 ranked player in the class of 2026 by ESPN, took her official visit the weekend of Feb. 2 and got to watch unranked Iowa take down No. 4 USC and Juju Watkins, followed by Clark’s jersey retirement.
Harpring, the daughter of 11-year NBA veteran Matt Harpring, is a 5-foot-10 combo guard from Atlanta, Georgia, who currently holds offers from UConn, LSU, and South Carolina along with Iowa. She is currently a junior attending Marist High School.
She averaged 27.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.7 steals, and 4.3 assists per game on 58 percent shooting for the 2023-24 high school season and was named MVP of the inaugural Overtime Select tournament — proving she’s got next-up potential to succeed Clark. Such performances shot her up the rankings to where she sits only behind Saniyah Hall of Montverde Academy in Florida.
If Harpring commits to Iowa, she would join a core of current Hawkeyes in Aaliyah Guyton, Taylor Stremlow, Ava Heiden, and Teagan Mallegni — each working cohesively as a team and more than capable of building a threat under Harpring’s scoring. That’s not to mention 2025 incoming recruits Addie Deal and Journey Houston, who should stay with the program by 2026.
Not only that, but shev would be the biggest recruit committing to Iowa out of high school in the school’s history for both men’s and women’s hoops.
It is and will continue to be a dog fight for any program to land Harpring until the day she publicly makes a decision, but if Clark is any proof, the Hawkeyes need to land one just like her to succeed.
Addison Bjorn
Iowa will be graduating a lot of size in the next few seasons, meaning 6-foot-2 Addison Bjorn, a 2026 wing, is a must-have.
This season, the Hawkeyes have collected high figures in regular contests, and a big part of this success comes from their size in the paint, namely fourth-year Addison O’Grady, third-year Hannah Stuelke, and first-year Ava Heiden.
Of course, one can only stay with the program for so long, and by the time the class of 2026 takes the court, both O’Grady and Stuelke will have moved on from the Iowa program. A 6-foot-4 Heiden and 6-foot-1 first-year Teagan Mallegni will be the Hawkeyes’ main weapons in terms of size.
As both Heiden and Mallegni will likely be in their third year of eligibility by that point, Bjorn is a necessity for the program. Officially listed as a small forward by 247 Sports, the Missouri native also showcases position versatility.
“Bjorn is a capable guard, wing, or even forward, depending on her matchup,” Brandon Clay wrote for 247Sports. “That’s a rare quality for a player who stands 6-foot-2.”
Outside of stature, the wing’s performances speak for themselves. Bjorn is currently ranked by the same website as 2026’s No. 1 recruit in Missouri, the No. 3 small forward, and No. 11 nationally. The forward is also a two-time gold medalist for USA Basketball, winning accolades at both the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup and 2023 FIBA U16 Americas Championship.
In an article by Sportskeeda’s Rey Alcaraz, Bjorn was revealed to have drilled in her first career dunk in a game on Feb. 5, a moment the cameras unfortunately missed.
“In-game dunks remain a rarity outside the college and professional ranks,” Alcaraz said in the article. “Bjorn’s ability to elevate above the rim makes her one of the most exciting young prospects in the sport.”
The next few seasons will see Iowa graduating a lot of talent in terms of size. It’s for this reason that 2026’s Addison Bjorn is a must-get.