Iowa women's basketball signee McKenna Woliczko excels in return

6 days ago 2

After nearly a yearlong recovery journey from her ACL and meniscus tear on Jan. 4, 2025, prized Iowa women's basketball signee McKenna Woliczko didn't skip a beat in her return to the court during No. 3-ranked Archbishop Mitty's (10-1) 82-44 win over Clovis (9-7) on Friday, Jan. 2, in San Jose, Calif.

In her season debut for the Monarchs, the 6-foot-2, five-star forward scored a team-leading 19 points and collected 13 rebounds in just 14 minutes of action.

Woliczko signed with the Hawkeyes on Nov. 12 and is ranked as the nation's No. 6 player by ESPN, Rivals, and 247Sports in the 2026 class. According to 247Sports, she is the country's No. 2 power forward and the No. 2 player from California. She is Iowa's highest-ranked signee since Caitlin Clark in 2020 and is also the Hawkeyes' highest-ranked signee under second-year head coach Jan Jensen.

In an interview with MaxPreps following the game, Woliczko said she had some nerves coming into the game, but had faith that she was ready after nearly a year of dedicated rehab and training.

"For me, it was more the jump ball," Woliczko told MaxPreps. "Once that jump ball happens I'm in the game, locked in and not really realizing how nervous I am any more. That first basket felt like so much weight off my shoulders."

While Woliczko did not play at all in the game's final quarter with the Monarchs leading by an overwhelming margin, Archbishop Mitty head coach Sue Phillips expressed her gratitude for the future Hawkeye star's dedication to her recovery and continued work ethic both on and off the court.

"It was a special night and I'm exited for our team and happy for McKenna," Archbishop Mitty head coach Sue Phillips said. "It's terrific to see someone who's so skilled and a great individual be able to do something she loves and is so talented at. She grinds the same every day, putting in the work and you can see what a graceful athlete she is. If you didn't know (about the injury), you wouldn't know."

Archbishop Mitty's next game will be at home on Jan. 6 against Valley Christian (6-7), with tipoff scheduled at 8 p.m. CT. Fans can watch Woliczko and the Monarchs' next game through the NFHS Network (subscription required).

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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa women's basketball signee McKenna Woliczko excels in return

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