The Iowa women’s basketball team will face a “mini WNBA team” Saturday afternoon in Brooklyn. At least those were the words of head coach Jan Jensen as her squad prepares to travel to The Big Apple to face off against No. 1 UConn at the Barclays Center, home of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets and WNBA’s New York Liberty.
“It’s a premier invite tournament, and to get to do it, it’s an honor,” Jensen told reporters Tuesday morning. “And we know it’s a tough task.”
This will be the second consecutive year Iowa has appeared in the Women’s Champions Classic. In 2024, the Hawkeyes lost, 78-68, to Tennessee. This season’s final nonconference opponent, an undefeated UConn squad, presents multiple challenges to Iowa, particularly in the front court and on the defensive end.
The Huskies are headlined by versatile second-year forward Sarah Strong, who averages team highs in rebounds per game (8.7), assists per game (4.9), steals per game (3.4), and blocks per game (2). Strong is second on the team in scoring and shoots 58.6 percent from the floor.
“She plays the four, but then she can play the five, but she acts like a point [guard],” Jensen said of Strong. “And that’s just something really rare. I do think [UConn’s] got another level to them this year.”
With three 100-plus point showings so far this season, UConn ranks 10th in the nation in points per game. Senior guard Azzi Fudd leads the Huskies with 18.1 points per game, including a 31-point outing against No. 6 Michigan when the Huskies topped the Wolverines by just three points. Every other matchup for UConn was decided by at least 13 points.
“You have to stay in the moments,” Jensen said. “I know it sounds cliche, but [UConn] can turn you over so fast that if you don’t stay in that next play, it’s going to happen and happen and happen.”
Indeed, UConn has forced 23.6 turnovers per game, ranking 14th in Division I. Meanwhile, Iowa ranks 73rd with 14.4 turnovers per game. While Strong anchors what Jensen called a “high-pressure and high-intensity” defense that yields a 32.5 field goal percentage from opponents, UConn’s frontcourt also shines with forward Serah Williams.
The 6-foot-4 Williams spent three years at Wisconsin before arriving at UConn, and while she’s averaging single-digit scoring for the first time in her career, she’s still shooting 53 percent from the floor. Jensen said Williams gives the Huskies a blend of speed and intelligence on the court.
“The minute your center makes a mistake, [Williams] slips and there’s a layup,” Jensen said.
Iowa will take on UConn on Saturday, Dec. 20, at 12:30 p.m. Central Time on FOX.
Injury Updates
Iowa second-year Emely Rodriguez has yet to play since Nov. 22 against Miami, when she exited early due to injury. Jensen said the guard tweaked something in her back and maintained Rodriguez was “day-to-day” for the past couple weeks. The coach gave Rodriguez the same status on Tuesday.
However, Rodriguez was not on the bench in Iowa’s most recent home game against Lindenwood, prompting speculation as to her future with the program. When asked to clarify the situation, Jensen kept her comments brief but telling.
“She is, as of right now, yeah,” she said of Rodriguez’s place on the roster.
Fellow Iowa second-year guard Chit-Chat Wright played only 18 minutes against Lindenwood. Jensen said Wright suffered a concussion against Baylor back in November and has been cautious with the guard, especially when she receives contact. The key to avoiding said contact is for Wright to keep shooting floaters, but not venture too deep in the paint toward larger defenders.
Wright said her main areas of concern are in her shoulders and neck, citing “whiplash” symptoms like not having a full range of motion. The Georgia Tech transfer said this is the first “real serious injury” she’s had in her collegiate career.
“Just battling through that and trying to get back to playing 100 percent and back to my old self,” Wright said. “I see it coming, but I’m still working to get there.”