By Hawk Fanatic

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Coming off its first loss of the season at Connecticut this past Sunday, the Iowa women’s basketball team will return to Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Thursday to face a team from instate that it has defeated 17 times in the last 18 matchups.

No. 10 Iowa (2-1) will host Northern Iowa (1-1) at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. The contest will air nationally on the Big Ten Network.

Both teams are looking to get back in the win column with Iowa having lost at UConn, 91-79, this past Sunday, while the Panthers lost at South Dakota State, 76-54, last Friday.

Northern Iowa opened the season with a 67-59 victory over St. Thomas on Nov. 2.

In that game Abby Tuttle led UNI with 16 points, while former Hawkeye guard Callie Levin scored 15 points and Jenna Twedt added 13.

Levin, who is from Solon, played two seasons for Iowa as a backup guard before transferring to Northern Iowa after last season, presumably in search of more playing time. She appeared in 29 games as a Hawkeye, including 19 games last season when she compiled 23 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

“Number one; I think the world of Callie and that isn’t journalist speak,” Iowa head coach Jan Jensen said Wednesday. “I think that in this new era, with all the players, we can talk about the others when we get into Big Ten season; they’re great young women and they’re making choices whether they want to play a little more, they have to find a system that’s a little bit better.

“Obviously, you don’t always do the best thing for everybody when you coach. You can’t possibly do that. So Callie and I have a great relationship. And on tape, you see that fiery; she plays so hard. I see a lot her similarities. That isn’t ever going to go away.”

Levin was among five players in Iowa’s 2024-25 recruiting class, along with center Ava  Heiden, guards Taylor Stremlow and Aaliyah Guyton and forward Teagan Mallegni.

Heiden and Stremlow are the only players from that recruiting class that still are playing for the Hawkeyes as Guyton and Mallegni have since transferred to Illinois and Wisconsin, respectively.

“I’m sure it’ll be weird for her coming here,” Jensen said of Levin. “I think there’s a mutual respect. She’s still close with a lot of players on our team.

“It’s not an easy thing. But it is part of this new landscape. And so I would think the fans are going to be for any kid that ever happens to make a different choice, we respect them, and obviously, we want the Hawks to win.”

Heiden looks forward to reuniting with her former teammate, though it could feel a little strange for her and Levin since they’re now now on different teams

“It’ll be cool to see her again,” Heiden said. “I wish her the best. She’s doing well, so I’m happy for her.”

Iowa has won six straight games in the series mostly by lopsided scores, though the game two years ago in Iowa City was competitive as the Hawkeyes hung on for a 92-86 victory on Dec. 20, 2024.

In contrast, the matchup last season in Cedar Falls was far from being competitive as Iowa crushed the Panthers, 74-41, on Nov. 16, 2025. The 41 points were UNI’s fewest against Iowa since scoring 39 in 2016.

One of the goals for the 6-foot-4 Heiden heading into Thursday’s game is to stay out of foul trouble, which she failed to do against UConn, picking up two early fouls in the first half and two more fouls in the second half.

“I think there’s habits that I need to keep working on breaking,” Heiden said.

She was asked Thursday if it is more of a body thing or a reach thing?

“A reach thing,” Heiden said.

Point guard Chit-Chat Wright led Iowa with 23 points against UConn, and with five 3-point baskets.

Fourth-year guard/forward Amari Whiting reached 1,000 career points in the loss at UConn. The Oklahoma State transfer scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds against the Huskies. She also appeared in her 100th career game and made her 100th career start.

Third-year Dani Carnegie enters Thursday’s game with 987 career points, 13 shy of reaching 1,000. Carnegie has scored 45 points in three games at Iowa after totaling 374 at Georgia Tech in 2024-25 and 568 at Georgia in 2025-26.

Following Thursday’s game, Iowa will hit the road again for a game against Vanderbilt on Sunday in Sioux City.

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Iowa projected starters

Pos. No. Name Ht. Yr. Hometown Season Stat Summary
PG 11 Chit-Chat Wright 5-4 3rd Atlanta, Ga. 14.7 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 3.3 APG

SG 3 Dani Carnegie 5-9 3rd Mount Vernon, N.Y. 15.0 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 3.3 APG

SF 15 Amari Whiting 5-10 4th Burley, Idaho 5.7 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 3.3 APG

PF 20 McKenna Woliczko 6-2 1st San Bruno, Calif. 12.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.0 APG

C 5 Ava Heiden 6-4 3rd Sherwood, Ore. 12.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.0 APG

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Northern Iowa (1-1) vs. Iowa (2-1).

When: Thursday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena

TV: Big Ten Network

Radio: Hawkeye Radio Network

Series history: Thursday marks the 32nd all-time meeting between Iowa and Northern Iowa. The Hawkeyes lead the series, 28-3.

Iowa has won six consecutive meetings against the Panthers and 17 of the last 18 matchups. The Hawkeyes defeated UNI, 74-41, on Nov. 16, 2025, in Cedar Falls. The 41 points were UNI’s fewest against Iowa since scoring 39 in 2016.

Iowa’s most recent home meeting with the Panthers came on Dec. 20, 2024, a 92-86 Hawkeye victory inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Editor’s note: hawkeyesports.com contributed to this report.