By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – After having two opportunities to watch the Iowa women’s basketball team practice this summer, it seems fair to say that second-year head coach Jan Jensen has a deep and talented roster.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that Iowa will challenge for the Big Ten title this coming season, but there is reason to have guarded optimism just based on the personnel.

For example, the combination at center with sophomore Ava Heiden and incoming freshman Layla Hays looks very promising as they both stand at least 6-foot-4 and have different skill sets, but are effective in their own way.

“I think she’ll be really good against like Lauren Betts or Audi Crooks, that type of really strong player,” Heiden said of Hays. “And I’ll be really good against quicker players.”

Their personalities also are different, but Heidan and Hays make it work, on and off the court.

“She’s a social butterfly,” Heiden said of Hays. “So I’m a little more reserved. So we kind of balance each other out, which is great.

“We’ve been working out together and going to places together and building that chemistry.”

What also makes this up-and-coming post tandem more interesting is the fact that Heiden is from Oregon, while Hays is from Alaska; two states where Iowa rarely has recruited.

“Layla and I are representing,” Heiden said after practice on Tuesday.

Heiden came on strong at the end of last season, and now with one season under he belt, she knows what to expect and what it will take to excel at this level.

“Freshman summer was a lot like what’s going on kind of thing,” Heiden said. “And now I feel a lot more settled and secure and working hard every day.”

Heiden was among three Iowa players that were made available to the media after Tuesday’s practice, along with sophomore forward Teagan Mallegni and sophomore point guard Chazadi “Chit-Chat” Wright, who played her freshman season for Georgia Tech.

Tuesday’s press gathering marked the first time that Wright had met with the Iowa media.

She explained how she was given her unusual nickname.

“Okay, it came from my very first AAU team,” Wright said. “I was very quiet so it’s ironic that I got the name Chit-Chat. It’s very unique so I stuck with it. And now everybody calls me Chit-Chat.”

Wright’s presence on the roster is also cause for optimism because Iowa needed a point guard after Aliyah Guyton transferred to Illinois shortly after this past season.

With the 5-4 Wright, Iowa has a lightening quick point guard who already has shown that she can play at this level.

Wright appeared in all 33 games for Georgia Tech last season as a freshman with 12 starts. The Atlanta, Georgia native averaged 7.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game, and she finished second on the team with 86 assists.

In addition to adding Wright to the roster, Iowa also has added former Georgia Tech assistant coach Lasondra Barrett to the coaching staff. Barrett’s decision to come to Iowa also played a key role in Wright wanting to be a Hawkeye.

“With coach (Barrett) coming here, I had an idea, okay, that’s somewhere I can see myself fitting in,” Wright said. “The program is real nice, the teammates, coaches.

“And the legacy behind the name Iowa is also pretty good. So there was always a thought of coming here.”

Iowa has been without its most established player for these recent summer workout as senior forward Hannah Stuelke is competing for the 2025 USA Women’s Americup team, along with Audi Crooks, who plays center for Iowa State.

Stuelke is the one player that you could say with certainty will be in the starting lineup next season. It will be her third season as a starter, and the plan is to have the Cedar Rapids native play more at power forward rather than center to better utilize her skills, but also because Heiden and Hays give Iowa a nice one-two punch in the post, although, Hays still has to show that she can play at this level.

But based on her performance in two practices, it’s easy to see why Hays was ranked among the players in the 2025 senior class. She shoots well with both hands near the basket, shows decent range on her jumper and his quick feet in the post.

Hawkeye fans already know with how Heiden played last season that she is explosive near the basket and runs the floor like a guard.

Heiden would also seem to be in position to be the starting center.

A third likely starter would seem to be sixth-year guard and defensive stopper Kylie Feuerbach.

But after those three, it’s anybody’s guess.

Heralded freshman guard Addie Deal might not start right away, but the five-star recruit from California will be a key contributor whether she starts or comes off the bench.

Deal can score at all three levels and she has good size and length as a 6-0 guard, sort of similar to Caitlin Clark’s frame.

Iowa also has added 6-0 sophomore guard-forward Emely Rodrigues from the transfer portal.

And though it’s based on just two summer practices, Rodriguez has shows a nice touch from 3-point range, and the ability to score in traffic. She just seems to have a knack for getting the ball in the basket.

Rodriguez, who is from the Dominican Republic, played for Central Florida last season and made the Big 12 All-Freshman team. She averaged 11.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game last season. She also finished second on the team with 36 steals.

Iowa didn’t get Rodriguez from the transfer portal to sit on the bench, and the same with Chit-Chat Wright.

The competition for playing time on this team she be fierce, but that’s what you should want.

Heiden and Hays will push each other every day in practice to get better in the post, while Iowa’s guards and forwards will do the same away from the basket.

The Iowa women’s basketball team now has a high standard to live up to in the wake of Caitlin Clark’s historic run that ended in 2024.

The Hawkeye won 23 games and made the NCAA Tournament without Clark last season.

Villanova transfer Lucy Olsen played a huge role in helping Iowa move on without Clark last season as Olsen led Iowa in scoring and made first-team All-Big Ten in her only season as a Hawkeye.

But Olsen has since moved on to the WNBA, and the 6-0 guard will be missed.

For the most part, Jensen’s first season as head coach was a success.

And now as she prepares for season number two, Jensen has a team that looks capable of upholding the high standard, but of course, still has to do it by turning potential into performance, which is always the hard part.