Iowa women's basketball hosting Big 12 transfer portal visitor
After a 23-11 mark and a trip to the NCAA Tournament's round of 32, the Iowa Hawkeyes are turning their attention toward next season and looking to restock the cupboard with some of the nation's top playmakers.
Iowa hosted former Arizona guard Jada Williams on a Friday visit. The 5-foot-8 guard was a 2024 Pac-12 All-Freshman Team selection and she led the Wildcats in scoring this past season.
Williams averaged 12.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game last season at Arizona. The Kansas City, Mo., native shot 37.1% from the field and 29.2% from 3-point range and led Arizona in assists with 87 during the 2024-25 campaign.
Williams and Arizona went to the NCAA Tournament during her freshman season, but the Wildcats missed the dance this past season and posted a 37-30 overall record during her two years in Tucson, Ariz.
Williams was a McDonald's All-American and a five-star signee in Arizona's 2023 class. A product of La Jolla Country Day School, Williams was ranked as the No. 21 player nationally according to ESPN.
Iowa is set to return guards Aaliyah Guyton, Taylor McCabe, Kylie Feuerbach, Taylor Stremlow and Teagan Mallegni and the Hawkeyes signed five-star guard Addie Deal out of Mater Dei High School in California and four-star guard Journey Houston out of Davenport North in Iowa.
With senior guards Lucy Olsen and Sydney Affolter moving on, adding a proven point guard that brings an established track record of production would take some pressure off everyone else.
Iowa head women's basketball coach Jan Jensen said that she liked her roster after the Hawkeyes' season ended against Oklahoma, but she indicated that Iowa would attempt to be active in the transfer portal.
"I'm really excited about the future,' Jensen said. 'I love our freshmen. I love the incomers, and if we can just get a couple portal pieces, I think it'd be really fun."
Williams' visit to Iowa City is the first illustration of the Hawkeyes' transfer portal pursuits.
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