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Iowa WBB Portal Checklist: Breaking Down Every Position Need

On3 imageby: Kyle Huesmann04/28/26HuesmannKyle

For quite some time, it seemed like the Iowa Women’s Basketball program might be immune to departures through the transfer portal. However, as we’ve found out, no program can run from the portal. Eventually there will be losses and they’ve hit the Hawkeyes this season, with five players entering their names alongside over 1,500 other players that went looking for a new home.

For the first time since the portal became commonplace, major additions to the Hawkeyes roster were needed, but they’ve been able to fill most of those needs. The latest being a commitment from Georgia transfer guard Jocelyn Faison. As it currently stands, Jan Jensen and her staff are now up to nine players on the 2026-27 roster. They have a solid returning core, with four of their top six scorers back, led by future All-American center Ava Heiden. The coaching staff is closing in on finishing out the roster, but they still need a couple more additions to close out their portal class.

Current Roster (9)

Departures (9)

  • G Taylor McCabe (Graduation)
  • G Kylie Feuerbach (Graduation)
  • PF Hannah Stuelke (Graduation)
  • F Jada Gyamfi (Graduation)
  • G Addie Deal (Transfer Portal)
  • G Callie Levin (Transfer Portal)
  • G Kennise Johnson (Transfer Portal)
  • SF Emely Rodriguez (Transfer Portal)
  • F Teagan Mallegni (Transfer Portal)

HawkeyeReport breaks down the top needs for the Hawkeyes and what positions need to be filled…

COMPLETE: An off-ball guard that can be plug-and-play in the starting lineup

Georgia guard Dani Carnegie – Talk about a big-time addition. One of the best available players in the portal and she will be a Hawkeye next season. Rated as the #6 player in the portal by ESPN, Carnegie was a First Team All-SEC selection for the Bulldogs, averaging 17.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. Not only does she fit the plug-and-play guard spot, but her 84 made threes were sixth-most in the SEC. Three-point shooting was a major need. She’s got the ability to attack the paint off the dribble, which was something Iowa lacked at times last season. This is an A+ addition by the coaching staff.

LINK: PORTAL TARGET BREAKDOWN: Georgia guard Dani Carnegie

1. Depth at the power forward position

Status: OPEN

This has been a topic of discussion throughout the entire portal cycle. Can the coaching staff convince a young forward to join with Woliczko being a potential three or four-year starter? Can they convince a veteran forward to join and possibly come off the bench? The answer so far has been no.

There are still some names in the portal, but it seems like this is trending more towards the addition of depth at power forward, rather than a player that could come in and battle for a starting spot. If McKenna Woliczko comes in and makes a big impact as a true freshman, missing out on adding a bigger piece at this spot won’t be an issue. That being said, it would put a bit more pressure on her to come in and be a solid contributor right away. The expectation is that the coaching staff will make an addition here, but it might not be the caliber of player that fans were hoping for when the portal opened.

2. A reliable contributor in the backcourt

Status: IN-PROGRESS

Oklahoma State guard Amari Whiting – This portal pickup isn’t exactly huge in the same sense that the Dani Carnegie addition was, but this is still a big-time land by the coaching staff. A three-year starter for BYU and Oklahoma State, Whiting joins a roster that already had three guards with starting experience, meaning that however the lineup shakes out, a Power 4 starter will be coming off the bench. That’s hard to do in the portal and NIL era. She had the best season of her career, efficiency wise, with OSU and will bring decent scoring, strong rebounding, solid facilitating and defense to the Hawkeyes. She’s never come off the bench, but her numbers point to her being a really good 6th player for Iowa, as the first guard off the bench.

LINK: PORTAL TARGET BREAKDOWN: Oklahoma State guard Amari Whiting

Georgia guard Jocelyn Faison – We are going to put the latest addition for the Hawkeyes, Jocelyn Faison, here with the caveat that another addition to the backcourt is still possible. A former four-star recruit, Faison spent one season at Georgia, but saw very limited minutes off the bench. An athletic and tall guard, standing at 6-foot-1, she brings some much needed height to the backcourt. Her prior relationships with assistant coach LaSondra Barrett and Dani Carnegie certainly played a part in this addition, while Barrett likely shared her input on what she saw from Faison in high school. Probably not commanding much NIL at this point, Faison is a low-risk, high-reward player for this roster.

LINK: Iowa WBB set to host Georgia transfer Jocelyn Faison for a visit

It’s possible that Faison is able to come in and earn minutes as the back end of the Hawkeyes rotation, but don’t rule out another addition to the backcourt. Western Illinois transfer Raegan McCowan is still uncommitted and while Iowa isn’t the favorite, they are still in the mix. It would also make sense to try to add another shooter to the roster if the right name emerged.

3. Depth pieces to fill out an 11-12 player roster

Status: OPEN

Although these additions won’t be major splashes that get the fanbase excited, there is a need for players at the end of the bench in case of injury. Looking back at last season, Taylor McCabe (14), Kylie Feuerbach (3), Chit-Chat Wright (3) and Hannah Stuelke (2) all missed games due to injury, as did Teagan Mallegni. It’s unlikely that the player that’s 11th or 12th on the roster gets much in the way of notable minutes, but it’s not impossible. The coaching staff has to get the roster to at least 11 players, but 12 players would be more comfortable.

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