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The Daily Iowan
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The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan
The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

Iowa women’s basketball earns No. 2 seed, will play Fairleigh Dickinson in NCAA Tournament

The Hawkeyes and Knights will face off on Saturday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Jonah Frey, Sports Reporter
March 15, 2026
Gabby Drees
The Iowa women’s basketball team reacts as their seed is announced during a Selection Sunday watch party at the Feller Club in Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday, March 15, 2026. Iowa secured a two-seed in the NCAA tournament, facing Farleigh Dickinson on Saturday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The Iowa women’s basketball team earned a No. 2 seed and will face the 15-seed Fairleigh Dickinson (FDU) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in the Sacramento Region. The game will be played at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Saturday, with the tip-off time yet to be announced. 

FDU defeated Long Island in the Northeast Conference championship, 79-57, to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. The Knights went undefeated in conference play, and enter the tournament with a 30-4 record, having won their previous 22 games. 

The Knights are led by the sophomore guard duo Ava Renninger and Kailee McDonald. Renninger averages 12.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game, while McDonald averages 12.1 points and 4.9 rebounds. 

The Hawkeyes and Knights’ two common opponents this season were Purdue and Rutgers. FDU lost to both, falling to Purdue, 67-48, and Rutgers, 59-49. Iowa defeated both, prevailing against Rutgers, 79-36, and Purdue, 83-74. 

The only previous matchup between the two took place on November 6, 2023, where the Hawkeyes defeated the Knights, 102-46. 

The winner will meet with the winner of No.7 seed Georgia versus the No.10 seed (winner of a First Four game between Virginia and Arizona State) in the second round, which will be played at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The No. 1 seed in Iowa’s region is South Carolina, which sits 31-3 overall after losing to Texas in the SEC Tournament finals. 

Tickets for the general public go on sale online at 9  a.m. Central Time on Monday, March 16. Adult tickets start at $90 and youth for $55 for the first and second rounds. Single-session tickets start at $60 for adults and $35 for children.