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The Iowa Hawkeyes picked up a nice Big Ten road win against Northwestern that required some toughness and grit, but could serve as a turning point for this team to show they have the mental toughness to handle whatever the Big Ten throws at them.
The goal for the Hawkeyes this season is not just to return to the NCAA Women's Tournament, something that they have become a mainstay in over the last half-decade, but to get to be a host site and do some damage advancing.
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With Iowa holding onto a seed worthy of hosting, check out the latest bracketology from ESPN.
Iowa Hawkeyes' seed
Iowa center Ava Heiden (5) shoots a free throw against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Jan. 1, 2026, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.
Seed: No. 4 seed
Opponent: No. 13 UNLV
Bracket
Dec 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California; UCLA Bruins center Lauren Betts (51) shoots over Long Beach State Beach guard Khylee Pepe (13) at Pauley Pavilion
No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 16 CA Baptist
No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 9 Georgia
No. 5 Ole Miss vs. No. 12 Marshall
No. 4 Iowa vs. No. 13 UNLV
No. 6 NC State vs. No. 11 North Dakota State
No. 3 Iowa State vs. No. 14 Montana State
No. 7 Nebraska vs. No. 10 Fairfield
No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 15 Howard
Top Seeds
Dec 20, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma stands on the court during the first half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Pamela Smith-Imagn Images
No. 1 seeds: UConn, Texas, UCLA, South Carolina,
No. 2 seeds: Louisville, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Oklahoma
No. 3 seeds: TCU, Iowa State, LSU, Maryland
No. 4 seeds: Texas Tech, Iowa, Michigan State, Michigan
Bubble Watch
Georgia women's basketball's Savannah Henderson (2), Miyah Verse (4), Rylie Theuerkauf (14), Vera Ojenuwa (22) and Jocelyn Faison (1) during the Lady Bulldogs' game against Texas A&M at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Ga., on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (Tony Walsh/UGAAA)
Last Four Byes: Georgia, Arizona State, Mississippi State, Utah
Last Four In: South Dakota State, BYU, Virginia, Villanova
First Four Out: Clemson, Syracuse, Kansas, Richmond
Next Four Out: Miami, Indiana, Seton Hall, Marquette
Conference Breakdown
Nov 15, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; The Big Ten conference logo on the court at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Big Ten: 12
SEC: 11
Big 12: 9
ACC: 7
Big East: 2
Summit League: 2
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Hawkeye Hosts: Iowa women's basketball steady in new ESPN Bracketology
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