Iowa
Iowa women’s basketball vs. USC prediction, 3 things to watch
15 minutes with Jan Jensen on Taylor McCabe’s injury, California trip
The Hawkeyes’ head coach meets the media with a No. 8 national ranking and a transition ahead without their senior sharpshooter.
IOWA CITY — A long and arduous season delivers several moments where a team must snap and clear from what just happened, good or bad. Iowa women’s basketball finds itself in that exact position.
After a stretch that paired excitement with devastation, the No. 8 Hawkeyes head out west for maybe their trickiest trip of the season. The Los Angeles swing begins with a Jan. 29 showdown at USC (8 p.m. CT, Peacock), followed by a Feb. 1 duel at No. 2 UCLA (3 p.m. CT, FOX).
Though these two schools have only been in the Big Ten a year and change, no conference squad has completed a perfect sweep of a California trip when knocking out the two matchups together. Considering UCLA has national-title aspirations as one of the best teams in the country, there’s even more pressure for the Hawkeyes to start this trip with a victory over the Trojans.
With that, here are three things to watch in Iowa vs. USC.
Can Iowa mentally move on from a whirlwind week that covered both ends of the emotional spectrum?
Wiping the mental slate clean was always going to be an important objective ahead of this trip, even before Taylor McCabe’s season-ending ACL tear happened.
Now, doing so is doubly important.
It was a tough scene at practice the day after Iowa’s 91-70 win over Ohio State, where McCabe informed her teammates through tears that her playing career is over. The sharpshooting senior was one of Iowa’s most respected veteran voices, and her even-keeled demeanor helped keep a young team grounded. McCabe will do all she can from the sidelines moving forward.
There’s reason Iowa needs to move on from positivity as well. Amid an eight-game winning streak that included top-15 wins over Michigan State, Maryland and Ohio State in a week’s span, the Hawkeyes have surged in the rankings and NCAA Tournament projections. Iowa is getting properly recognized as one of the hottest squads in the nation.
None of that matters once the ball tips inside the Galen Center. USC, a preseason top-25 team, desperately needs a jolt to get its campaign back on track. A shocking top-10 home upset could certainly do the trick. That’s exactly what Iowa did last season when JuJu Watkins and the Trojans visited Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
How does Iowa keep USC in its Big Ten funk?
Sitting at 10-3 on Dec. 29 with ranked wins over North Carolina State, Washington and Nebraska, the Trojans looked like they had survived their daunting early slate.
The wheels have somewhat fallen off since. In the new calendar year, USC is 1-6 with its only win coming against lowly Purdue. Losses to Oregon, Minnesota, Maryland, Michigan State and Michigan have all been by seven points or less, with a UCLA blowout tacked on as well.
Although freshman guard Jazzy Davidson and Georgia Tech transfer Kara Dunn have been nice weapons spearheading USC’s offense, the Trojans are averaging just 64 points per game in 2026. That sets up nicely for Iowa, considering how potent its defense has been during this winning streak.
If Kylie Feuerbach can make things difficult on Davidson while Iowa takes advantage of USC’s unreliable size — no Trojans forward averages more than 15 minutes per game — the Hawkeyes should be in position late for a big road win.
Can Addie Deal keep everything under control in what will be her first collegiate start?
For a player with the mental makeup of Deal, this insertion into the starting lineup following McCabe’s injury shouldn’t be as big a deal as many outsiders are making it.
Deal has been trending upward for two weeks now, and a return to her home state of California times out well for her responsibilities to officially increase. This five-star freshman feels ready to grab the reins and go.
That said, Deal shouldn’t feel any more pressure than she did before. Iowa has rounded into a versatile squad capable of winning with numerous players leading the charge. Though consistent 20-point outings, like Deal delivered against Ohio State, would certainly be welcomed, Iowa doesn’t need that every night to survive.
Iowa women’s basketball prediction vs. USC
Iowa will endure a turbulent three quarters where stability is hard to find, only to turn it on late and survive with a gritty road win similar to those at Northwestern and Indiana. The Hawkeyes will lean on its interior advantages for a key California survival effort. Iowa 71, USC 69.
Dargan Southard is a sports trending reporter and covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.
DES Moines, Iowa — Gov. Kim Reynolds has ordered all flags in Iowa to be lowered to half-staff Saturday in honor of state Sen. Julian Garrett, who died June 8 at the age of 85.
Flags will be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset June 20, the day of Garrett’s funeral, on the Iowa Capitol Building and across the Capitol Complex. The order also applies to all public buildings, grounds and facilities throughout the state.
Garrett served 16 years in the Iowa Legislature, first representing House District 55 from 2011 to 2013 before serving in the Iowa Senate through the 2026 legislative session.
In addition to his legislative service, Garrett was a farmer, attorney and former employee of the Iowa Attorney General’s Office.
“Sen. Garrett was a friend who served our state with integrity — whether as a cattle producer, a Little League coach, an attorney in the executive branch, or a legislator,” Reynolds said in a statement. “For 15 years, we worked together to unleash opportunities for the Iowans we served, and his impact will be felt for generations to come.”
Reynolds is encouraging individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties and other government entities to lower their flags to half-staff during the same time period as a sign of respect.
Garrett represented southwest Iowa in the Legislature and was known for his work on judiciary and agriculture-related issues during his tenure at the Statehouse.
An Iowa man was injured Thursday afternoon after three vehicles traveling northbound on Interstate 35 collided near Albert Lea.
Thomas Gene Anderson, 34, of Winnebago, Iowa, was taken by Mayo Ambulance to Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea for non-life threatening injuries, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.
Anderson was listed as the driver of a 2019 Chevrolet Blazer.
The report states the Blazer and a 2020 Nissan Rogue, driven by Brenda Sue Bangs, 52, of Glenville, and a 2021 Chevrolet Blazer, driven by Lisa Ann Bettin, 64, of Altoona, Iowa, were all northbound on I-35 near milepost 10 when the vehicles collided at 3:49 p.m.
As we work through the month of June, things are starting to heat up on the diamond around Iowa high school baseball.
With the start of postseason play just around the corner in July, teams are working to get prepared for the stretch run.
High School On SI Iowa has a Top 25 state power ranking while the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association releases weekly class-by-class rankings.
Here are leaders as of June 17, 2026 for several major hitting and pitching categories. Stats are from those uploaded to the Bound website.
Iowa High School Baseball Leaders
Home Runs
- Tru McBride, Fort Dodge, 9
- Colton Roemmich, West Des Moines Valley, 9
- Brandon Bea, Davenport North, 8
- Kamden Jorgensen, Saydel, 8
- Gabe Blanshan, Urbandale, 7
Running Batted In
- Callan Koch, Sioux City East, 38
- West Cole, Mason City Newman Catholic, 37
- Tru McBride, Fort Dodge, 36
- Chance Georgius, Roland-Story, 34
- Ty Heydon, Coon Rapids-Bayard, 34
Stolen Bases
- Aiden Ferry, Roland-Story, 38
- Tate Garman, Algona, 33
- Titan Foster, Nodaway Valley, 32
- Tate Moulton, Grand View Christian, 30
- Cael Wishman, Baxter, 29
Runs Scored
- Cal Jepsen, Sioux City East, 45
- Aiden Frey, Roland-Story, 43
- Cal Heydon, Coon Rapids-Bayard, 41
- Kolton Schiltz, Fort Dodge, 40
- Colton Wight, Martensdale-St. Marys, 39
Hits
- Colton Wight, Martensdale-St. Marys, 39
- Cal Jepsen, Sioux City East, 38
- Callan Koch, Sioux City East, 36
- Ty Heydon, Coon Rapids-Bayard, 35
- Lucas Kelley, Des Moines Roosevelt, 34
Doubles
- Joe Nilles, Sioux City North, 13
- Colton Wight, Martensdale-St. Marys, 13
- Lucas Kelley, Des Moines Roosevelt, 12
- Brett Harris, Western Dubuque, 12
- Brooks Bond, Lewis Central, 11
Triples
- Callan Koch, Sioux City East, 7
- Will Nesler, Ankeny Centennial, 5
- Jacob Pierro, Dubuque Wahlert Catholic, 5
- Lucas Kelley, Des Moines Roosevelt, 5
- Cal Jepsen, Sioux City East, 4
Total Bases
- Colton Wight, Martensdale-St. Marys, 68
- Tru McBride, Fort Dodge, 68
- Bryce Pauly, Davenport North, 67
- Cal Jepsen, Sioux City East, 65
- Ty Heydon, Coon Rapids-Bayard, 62
Pitching Wins
- Tyler Etten, Urbandale, 9
- Chase White, Dyersville Beckman Catholic, 7
- Colton Moffit, Baxter, 7
- Connor Mullenbach, Saint Ansgar, 6
- Aidan Nielsen, Don Bosco, 6
Earned Run Average (min. 18 innings pitched)
- Connor Mullenbach, Saint Ansgar, 0.00
- Luke Vestal, Pleasantville, 0.00
- Ryan Stedman, West Des Moines Valley, 0.24
- Will Litton, Iowa City Regina Catholic, 0.25
- Judd Jirovsky, Grundy Center, 0.26
Strikeouts
- Colton Moffit, Baxter, 85
- Brody Wangsness, North Butler, 75
- Lincoln Roethler, Denver, 71
- Owen Klocksiem, Louisa-Muscatine, 67
- Cooper Chizek, Emmetsburg, 65
Opponents Batting Average Against (min. 18 innings pitched)
- Macklin Loftus, Logan-Magnolia, .017
- Jack Wedemeier, Waverly-Shell Rock, .065
- Teagan Brunk, Shenandoah, .069
- Ryan Stedman, West Des Moines Valley, .072
- Bronx Siebersma, MVAOCOU, .075
Saves
- Beckham Simon, West Liberty, 4
- Deacon Kucera, Cedar Rapids Kennedy, 4
- Graham Rima, Pleasant Valley, 4
- Gavin de Jesus, Waukee, 4
- Easton Goodwin, Waterloo Columbus Catholic, 3
Innings Pitched
- Colton Moffit, Baxter, 43
- Tyler Etten, Urbandale, 38.2
- Owen Galvin, Denison-Schleswig, 38
- Tallon Crandall, Carroll, 37.1
- Austin Remster, Melcher-Dallas, 37.1
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