Northwestern University Athletics
Monday, January 5
Evanston, Ill.
7:30 p.m. CT
Northwestern
vs
Iowa
Photo by: Mary Grace Grabill/Northwestern Athletics
Northwestern, No. 14 Iowa Clash Monday On BTN
1/4/2026 12:30:00 PM | Women's Basketball
‘Cats seek first win over Hawkeyes since 2021-22 campaign
EVANSTON, Ill. (January 4, 2026) – Set to make its first appearance at home in the new calendar year, Northwestern (6-8, 0-3 B1G) welcomes No. 14 Iowa to Welsh-Ryan Arena on Monday evening. The 7:30 p.m. CT tilt will air on Big Ten Network, with Kylen Mills (play-by-play) and Shimmy Miller (analyst) on the call.
LAST TIME OUT
Oregon shot north of 50 percent from the floor as it handed Northwestern an 87-54 defeat last Thursday at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore.
Grace Sullivan led Northwestern, operating at an 11-of-16 clip from the field en route to finishing with 23 points, her 10th game of 20-plus points this season. During the Wildcats' two-game stint in the Pacific Northwest, Sullivan averaged 26.5 points, shooting just shy of 65 percent (22-of-34).
For the second time in as many games, Caroline Lau handed out 10 assists. Lau's showing against the Ducks saw her climb to sixth all-time in Wildcat annals with 537 career assists, a total that has the senior guard just four helpers shy of moving inside the top five.
SCOUTING IOWA
Sitting at No. 14 in the Associated Press Top 25, Iowa (12-2, 3-0 B1G) continued its perfect start to Big Ten Conference play last Thursday with an 86-76 win over No. 20 Nebraska at Carver Hawkeye Arena. Piloted by second-year head coach Jan Jensen, Iowa's two defeats this season have come at the hands of top-10 foes No. 1 UConn and No. 10 Iowa State.
Ava Heiden (15.7 ppg) leads a trio of Hawkeyes to average in double figures for Jensen's squad. Heiden has three games of 20-plus points to her name, most recently putting up a career-best 27 points in a 99-76 victory against Penn State on December 28.
Preseason All-Big Ten honoree Hannah Stuelke adds 14.0 points per game and pulls down a team-best 8.5 rebounds per contest. Stuelke, who scored a season-high 31 points in a 102-68 rout of Lindenwood on December 13, led all scorers with 26 points in Iowa's win over Northwestern last season.
Georgia Tech transfer Chazadi Wright has made an immediate impact, contributing 13.2 points per game. Averaging just shy of 19 points across Iowa's last three games, Wright scored a career-high 24 points in the Hawkeyes' aforementioned triumph over Nebraska.
SERIES STUFF
Monday's nationally televised clash will serve as the 81st installment of the rivalry between Northwestern and Iowa in women's basketball. The Hawkeyes have ripped off five straight wins to extend their lead in the all-time series to 62-18 (.775).
Northwestern pushed Iowa to the brink in last season's matchup at Carver Hawkeye Arena, dropping an 85-80 decision. Melannie Daley and Caileigh Walsh paced the 'Cats with 15 points apiece, while Lau tied a career-high with four three-point field goals as part of a 14-point effort.
The Wildcats will be in search of their first win over Iowa since January 6, 2022, when Veronica Burton poured in a team-high 25 points in a 77-69 victory in Iowa City, Iowa.
UP NEXT
Northwestern ventures back out on the road on Thursday, January 8, visiting Minneapolis, Minn. to take on Minnesota in a 7 p.m. CT tip-off.
LAST TIME OUT
Oregon shot north of 50 percent from the floor as it handed Northwestern an 87-54 defeat last Thursday at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore.
Grace Sullivan led Northwestern, operating at an 11-of-16 clip from the field en route to finishing with 23 points, her 10th game of 20-plus points this season. During the Wildcats' two-game stint in the Pacific Northwest, Sullivan averaged 26.5 points, shooting just shy of 65 percent (22-of-34).
For the second time in as many games, Caroline Lau handed out 10 assists. Lau's showing against the Ducks saw her climb to sixth all-time in Wildcat annals with 537 career assists, a total that has the senior guard just four helpers shy of moving inside the top five.
SCOUTING IOWA
Sitting at No. 14 in the Associated Press Top 25, Iowa (12-2, 3-0 B1G) continued its perfect start to Big Ten Conference play last Thursday with an 86-76 win over No. 20 Nebraska at Carver Hawkeye Arena. Piloted by second-year head coach Jan Jensen, Iowa's two defeats this season have come at the hands of top-10 foes No. 1 UConn and No. 10 Iowa State.
Ava Heiden (15.7 ppg) leads a trio of Hawkeyes to average in double figures for Jensen's squad. Heiden has three games of 20-plus points to her name, most recently putting up a career-best 27 points in a 99-76 victory against Penn State on December 28.
Preseason All-Big Ten honoree Hannah Stuelke adds 14.0 points per game and pulls down a team-best 8.5 rebounds per contest. Stuelke, who scored a season-high 31 points in a 102-68 rout of Lindenwood on December 13, led all scorers with 26 points in Iowa's win over Northwestern last season.
Georgia Tech transfer Chazadi Wright has made an immediate impact, contributing 13.2 points per game. Averaging just shy of 19 points across Iowa's last three games, Wright scored a career-high 24 points in the Hawkeyes' aforementioned triumph over Nebraska.
SERIES STUFF
Monday's nationally televised clash will serve as the 81st installment of the rivalry between Northwestern and Iowa in women's basketball. The Hawkeyes have ripped off five straight wins to extend their lead in the all-time series to 62-18 (.775).
Northwestern pushed Iowa to the brink in last season's matchup at Carver Hawkeye Arena, dropping an 85-80 decision. Melannie Daley and Caileigh Walsh paced the 'Cats with 15 points apiece, while Lau tied a career-high with four three-point field goals as part of a 14-point effort.
The Wildcats will be in search of their first win over Iowa since January 6, 2022, when Veronica Burton poured in a team-high 25 points in a 77-69 victory in Iowa City, Iowa.
UP NEXT
Northwestern ventures back out on the road on Thursday, January 8, visiting Minneapolis, Minn. to take on Minnesota in a 7 p.m. CT tip-off.
Players Mentioned
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