After Iowa women’s basketball (18-2, 9-0 Big Ten) secured two more impressive wins over top-15 opponents last week, the Hawkeyes have continued to race up the AP Top 25 Women’s College Basketball Poll.
Iowa won at then-No. 15 Maryland in overtime, 85-78, and followed it up with a dominant 91-70 victory over then-No. 12 Ohio State. Thanks to its wins over the Terps and Buckeyes, Iowa has climbed to a season-high ranking of No. 8 nationally.
In addition to Iowa, six other Big Ten squads are within the updated top 25. UCLA is ranked No. 2, Michigan No. 9, Ohio State No. 11, Michigan State No. 13, Maryland No. 16, and Washington at No. 25.
Nebraska, Minnesota and Illinois are each receiving votes.
Checkin’ in at No. 🎱 pic.twitter.com/uLwxn8bT1T
— Iowa Women’s Basketball (@IowaWBB) January 26, 2026
Ava Heiden led Iowa against the Terrapins with 20 points on 9-for-13 shooting, while Hannah Stuelke collected a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Addie Deal proceeded to erupt for a new career-high 20 points on 8-of-17 shooting, as Stuelke added her sixth double-double of the campaign with 18 points and 15 rebounds against the Buckeyes.
The Hawkeyes have a challenging schedule this week, as they travel to Los Angeles to face USC on Thursday and make the short trip to Westwood for a colossal matchup against No. 2 UCLA on Sunday.
Here’s a look at the full AP Top 25 Women’s College Basketball Poll for Week 12:
| Rank | Team | Record | PTS | 1st | Prev | Chg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UConn | 21-0 | 775 | 31 | 1 | – |
| 2 | UCLA | 19-1 | 740 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 3 | South Carolina | 20-2 | 704 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 4 | Texas | 19-2 | 677 | 0 | 4 | – |
| 5 | Vanderbilt | 20-1 | 637 | 0 | 5 | – |
| 6 | LSU | 18-2 | 632 | 0 | 6 | – |
| 7 | Louisville | 19-3 | 569 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| 8 | Iowa | 18-2 | 559 | 0 | 10 | 2 |
| 9 | Michigan | 17-3 | 535 | 0 | 7 | 2 |
| 10 | Oklahoma | 16-4 | 448 | 0 | 16 | 6 |
| 11 | Ohio State | 18-3 | 440 | 0 | 12 | 1 |
| 12 | TCU | 19-2 | 435 | 0 | 9 | 3 |
| 13 | Michigan State | 18-2 | 410 | 0 | 13 | – |
| 14 | Baylor | 18-3 | 388 | 0 | 14 | – |
| 15 | Tennessee | 14-3 | 360 | 0 | 17 | 2 |
| 16 | Maryland | 17-4 | 288 | 0 | 15 | 1 |
| 17 | Ole Miss | 17-4 | 256 | 0 | 18 | 1 |
| 18 | Kentucky | 17-5 | 231 | 0 | 11 | 7 |
| 19 | Princeton | 17-1 | 190 | 0 | 20 | 1 |
| 20 | Duke | 14-6 | 165 | 0 | 21 | 1 |
| 21 | Texas Tech | 20-2 | 152 | 0 | 19 | 2 |
| 22 | West Virginia | 17-4 | 120 | 0 | 22 | – |
| 23 | Georgia | 18-3 | 106 | 0 | NR | 6 |
| 24 | Alabama | 18-3 | 92 | 0 | 23 | 1 |
| 25 | Washington | 15-4 | 72 | 0 | 25 | – |
Others Receiving Votes
North Carolina 47; Rhode Island 16; Nebraska 14; Minnesota 6; North Carolina State 5; Illinois 3; Fairfield 2; Oklahoma State 1;
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa on the rise in AP Top 25 Women’s Basketball Poll
