There was no question the Iowa women’s basketball team would appear in the 2025 NCAA tournament, so looming questions from the past week were more about who and where its path would begin. But after weeks of speculation, the answers were finally revealed on Sunday.
The Hawkeyes received the sixth seed in the Spokane Region, their first opponent Mountain Valley Conference champion and 11th-seeded Murray State. The two teams will face off this Saturday in Norman, Oklahoma.
The Racers are currently the nation’s highest-scoring team with an average of 87.9 points per game. They roster four players who average at least 14 points per game, including senior forward Katelyn Young, the school’s all-time leading scorer, who’s averaging 21.8 points on 55 percent shooting in 31 games.
Young, along with guards Halli Poock at 16.9 points, Haven Ford at 15.5, and Ava Learn at 14, combine for 68.2 points on average. Despite its scoring prowess, Murray State holds nearly identical averages across the board with Iowa, including field-goal and three-point percentages.
The 25-7 Racers have won their last 10 games, including their three-game MVC tournament games, on the way to their first-ever conference championship on Sunday — punching their ticket just hours before the NCAA Selection Show.
“I don’t know much about Murray State,” Iowa head coach Jan Jensen said of Iowa’s first-round opponent. “I’ve got to figure that formula out.”
If the Hawkeyes prevail through Saturday’s contest, they will face either third-seeded Oklahoma or 14th-seeded Florida Gulf Coast on the following Monday. The Sooners are perceived as the team to come out on top, though history says anything can happen in March.
“I don’t know a whole lot of the intricate details of Oklahoma, only I watch them and cheer for them because of [head coach Jennie Baranczyk],” Jensen said. “I know I like their bigs, and I know how fast they play.”
Game times and TV designations will be made public at a later time. All first- and second-round tickets will be handled by the host’s institution, which is Oklahoma this weekend.