Iowa women's basketball coach Jan Jensen aims to add two more players to the 2026-27 roster, including a point guard and a longer guard/wing. The team has already signed four newcomers, including three transfers and one high school player.
Key points
Jan Jensen aims to add two players to the 2026-27 roster
Iowa has signed four newcomers for the upcoming season
Three of the newcomers are transfers
Five-star recruit McKenna Woliczko is the only high schooler joining
WEST DES MOINES — Jan Jensen is still looking to add to Iowa women’s basketball’s 2026-27 roster, she told reporters at a Polk County I-Club event on May 6.
Ideally, the Iowa head coach will be able to bring in two more players — a point guard and a longer guard/wing.
The Hawkeyes already have four newcomers signed to the roster for the upcoming season — three of whom are from the transfer portal. Five-star McKenna Woliczko is currently the lone high schooler set to join the Hawkeyes in this recruiting class.
Along with Woliczko, Iowa has bolstered its roster for next season with a trio of transfers — Dani Carnegie (Georgia), Amari Whiting (Oklahoma State) and Jocelyn Faison (Georgia).
Carnegie, a 5-foot-9 guard, gives Iowa some serious firepower. She had a stellar sophomore season for the Bulldogs, averaging 17.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 35.4% from deep. Jensen name-dropped Iowa legend Caitlin Clark when describing Carnegie’s skill set.
“Ever since Caitlin (Clark) really, making a play when everything breaks down,” Jensen said. “Lucy Olsen could do that. She was a longer, wiry guard. Dani Carnegie is just kind of a playmaker. She’s a lot more vocal. She was one of the top scorers in the SEC. I just think we didn’t have that last year. So that’s going to be a great piece, and I think that she’s really going to help us. She’s pretty good in the ball screen and with Ava Heiden — Ava Heiden’s pretty good at receiving that drop pass in the ball screen. So, I’m pretty excited about that.”
Carnegie will reunite with Iowa guard Chit-Chat Wright after playing together as freshmen at Georgia Tech. Now at Iowa, Jensen sees Carnegie allowing Wright to play more off the ball than last season.
“Now I can free up Chit-Chat,” Jensen said. “Chit-Chat shot 44% from three. So if I can get her off the ball and able to light it up a little bit more, I think we can have a pretty good scoring one-two punch.”
Who are the new players joining Iowa women's basketball for 2026-27?
The new players include three transfers: Dani Carnegie from Georgia, Amari Whiting from Oklahoma State, and Jocelyn Faison from Georgia, along with five-star recruit McKenna Woliczko.
What positions is Iowa women's basketball looking to fill for the 2026-27 season?
Iowa women's basketball is looking to add a point guard and a longer guard/wing to their roster.
How many newcomers has Iowa women's basketball signed for the upcoming season?
Iowa women's basketball has signed four newcomers for the upcoming season.
When did Jan Jensen discuss the Iowa women's basketball roster updates?
Jan Jensen discussed the roster updates at a Polk County I-Club event on May 6.
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Like Carnegie, Iowa is the third stop in college for both Whiting. Whiting played two seasons at BYU and one at Oklahoma State. The 5-foot-10 guard averaged 9.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game last season for the Cowboys.
“She defends,” Jensen said of Whiting. “She’s bubbly. People are going to love watching her play. She plays with a lot of heart and soul… We can plug Amari in a lot of places and she’s just is a fun, fun personality.”
There have been plenty of moving pieces for Iowa’s roster as Jensen enters her third season as head coach. Some have come in, and some have gone out.
But while the roster will certainly have a different look than last season, Iowa was able to retain a core group with Heiden, Wright, Taylor Stremlow, Journey Houston and Layla Hays.
“I was really blessed with that,” Jensen said of the returners. “I think that portal giveth and it taketh away and it’s just part of the process now. I feel badly when anybody wants to leave, but I also understand that there are different opportunities. So I really do wish everybody well. I know that sometimes, you look at it as a fan and are like, ‘Oh, how did that happen? And why?’ But it’s just part of it right now. And I’m just thrilled with who stayed. I think if we all just focus on the people that are on your team, that’s the key — as coaches, as fanbases. So, I love the young women that have decided to stay.”
Turning attention to Iowa men's basketball
Head coach Ben McCollum currently has four newcomers signed to the 2026-27 roster. With Tavion Banks’ eligibility situation unclear, Iowa could still bring in another. McCollum said it’d have to be a “seriously big-time guard" in order for that to happen.
Two of those four signees are from the transfer portal — Ty’Reek Coleman (Illinois State) and Andrew McKeever (Saint Mary’s). The other two are from the high school ranks.
Ethan Harris picked Iowa over Gonzaga, Washington and Boise State. Jaidyn Coon, the 2026 Iowa Mr. Basketball winner, reopened his recruitment after originally signing with Creighton and is joining the Hawkeyes. Both are four-star prospects, according to the 247Sports Composite.
But it remains to be seen what their roles could look like during the 2026-27 season.
“It all depends on how quickly they can adapt to everything,” McCollum said on May 6. “I think they're both physically there. I think they’re going to both be really, really good players in the Big Ten. Some people are quicker than others and it just depends on how they come in. I try not to have too many preconceived notions as to quickly they can adapt just because then (if I did), it doesn’t keep a level playing field. But obviously, Jaidyn’s freakishly athletic, elite personality, elite energy, just a great person. And then the same goes for Ethan. Just a little bit different skillset. But both of them, from a personality and fit perspective, is probably about as good as you get.”
It’s fitting that McCollum was asked about Trevin Jirak at the Polk County I-Club event, considering Jirak is a graduate of nearby Valley High School. Jirak appeared sporadically in his true freshman season with the Hawkeyes, averaging roughly eight minutes per game in 17 appearances.
Jirak is one of the players on Iowa’s roster whose development ahead of next season is especially intriguing. McCollum seemed pleased with what he has seen so far.
“Trev’s been great,” McCollum said. “He’s been different in pickup. He’s been really good. Shooting it at a high level, passing it at a high level, triggering offense. Again, he probably could’ve played throughout the season a little bit more than he did and it probably would’ve helped him. He got caught behind a couple of people and hopefully next year he takes a big jump.”
