Iowa women's basketball: No. 9 Hawkeyes ride 6-game winning streak into Big Ten tournament The No. 9 Iowa women’s basketball team enters the Big Ten tournament with a six-game winning streak, positioning them as a strong contender for the conference title. The Hawkeyes, ranked No. 9 in the latest polls, will face off against top-tier competition in Indianapolis, where the tournament will determine the Big Ten’s representative for the NCAA championship. UCLA, the No. 2 seed, has dominated the conference this season, completing the Big Ten’s first perfect regular-season slate since 2014-15 with a victory over longtime rival Southern California. The Bruins, now seeking their first national title since 1978, have already secured their first conference tournament title in nearly two decades and reached their first Final Four in nearly half a century. Coach Jia Cross emphasized the team’s resilience under pressure, noting that their ability to perform in high-stakes moments has been a defining trait. “They have broken almost every single record,” Cross said after Sunday’s win. “It’s a pretty darn fun team to coach.” Despite their dominance, UCLA faces a challenging path to the national title. The tournament bracket features nine Big Ten teams ranked in the NET’s Top 25, including No. 8 Michigan, No. 9 Iowa, No. 11 Ohio State, No. 14 Maryland, No. 18 Michigan State, and No. 19 Minnesota. USC and Nebraska also join the field, creating a highly competitive landscape. Michigan guard Macy Brown highlighted the experience of the team’s sophomore-heavy roster, stating, “Being battle tested and just kind of getting that experience—basically half of our team is sophomores so we have that year under our belts. So being able to play those teams in the Big Ten, it’s always helpful.#big_ten_tournament #iowa_women_basketball #ucla #michigan #minnesota
