By Hawk Fanatic

IOWA CITY, Iowa – At first glance, it would be easy to dismiss Fairfield as just another simple and predictable assignment for the undefeated Iowa women’s basketball team.

But dig a little deeper and you’ll see that Fairfield (4-1) might actually pose a threat, unlike five of Iowa’s first seven opponents so far this season.

Iowa (7-0) has won five of its first seven games this season by at least 17 points, the two exceptions being wins over Baylor (57-52) and Miami (Fla,) (64-61) in the WBCA State Farm Showcase last week in Orlando, Florida.

Fairfield doesn’t compete in a Power 4 conference, nor does it have a huge brand.

But don’t let that fool you.

The Stags made the NCAA Tournament in each of the past two seasons and they combined to finish 57-9 in those two seasons.

And with Iowa starting point guard Chit-Chat Wright and top reserve Emely Rodriguez both day-to-day because of injuries, the 11th-ranked Hawkeyes could face a challenge in Sunday’s game, which will tip-off at noon on the Big Ten Network.

Fairfield already has wins over Villanova and South Florida, and its top two scorers from last season are leading the way again this season with forward Meghan Anderson and guard Kaety L’Amoreaux averaging 20.0 and 18.4 points per game, respectively.

Iowa has eight players averaging from 15.7 to 6.4 points per game, led by 6-foot-4 sophomore center Ava Heiden, who already has four double-doubles in scoring and rebounding this season.

Freshman guard Addie Deal, a former five-star recruit from California, is also coming off her best game as a Hawkeye as she scored 17 points and dished out five assists in the 86-69 victory over Western Illinois this past Wednesday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Both totals were career highs for the 6-0 Deal.

“I felt like the last week, I think she was able to kind of just step back and just let herself develop a little more and improve and just go  for it,” second-year Iowa head coach Jan Jensen said of Deal.

Sophomore Taylor Stremlow also has filled in for Wright at point guard in each of the past two games and has more than held her own.

With a win on Sunday, Jensen would match C. Vivian Stringer with two 8-0 starts, which would tie for the most by a head coach in school history.

Fairfield (4-1) vs. Iowa (7-0)

When: Sunday, noon

Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena

TV: Big Ten Network

Radio: Hawkeye Radio Network

Series: This is the first meeting between the two programs.