A top-tier NCAA basketball showdown is coming to Barclays Center, as the undefeated No. 1 UConn Huskies take on the No. 11 Iowa Hawkeyes at the Brooklyn home of the WNBA's New York Liberty this weekend.
The Huskies enter Saturday's game on a perfect 11-0 record flush with four ranked nonconference wins as they attempt to go back-to-back with another title run.
"With a team like UConn that is so fast, and they're almost flawless in every aspect of the game, there's no time to get too high, and certainly low," said Iowa head coach Jan Jensen ahead of the Saturday clash.
Rather than relying on one or two stars, depth is now UConn's superpower, as they keep players rested and give opponents little time to react.
"There's a benefit to it, because we can play a certain way, but it's a challenge getting all the players the minutes that they want and that they need," said longtime Huskies coach Geno Auriemma, commenting on his stacked roster this season. "Hopefully, we can manage that balance."
"I think this team has the potential to go down as one of Geno's best," complimented Jensen. "I feel like this particular team, they have a very intense defensive balance to them."
How to watch Iowa vs. UConn in Saturday's NCAA women's basketball slate
The No. 1 Huskies will look to handle the No. 11 Hawkeyes at Brooklyn's Barclays Center on Saturday.
The clash tips off at 1:30 PM ET, with live coverage airing on FOX.
Stakes are sky-high for Wednesday night's Cy-Hawk Series clash, as undefeated No. 10 Iowa State welcomes unbeaten No. 11 Iowa to Ames for the highest-ranked NCAA women's basketball matchup in the cross-state rivalry's history.
"[If] you grew up in the state, just there's nothing like it," Iowa head coach Jan Jensen said of the historic series. "You've dreamed, you've watched those big football matchups when you're little, you watched the basketball games when you were little, and to get to be in one — boy, it doesn't get much better."
"[It's] one of those things where it truly is a rivalry, because teams [go] back and forth and have their streaks and wins and losses," echoed Cyclones boss Bill Fennelly.
The red-hot Hawkeyes enter Wednesday's game with the head-to-head advantage having won three straight against the Cyclones — and eight of the last nine in the series.
That said, the Cyclones have the nation's leading scorer on their side, with junior center Audi Crooks's 27.6 points per game showcasing unmatched efficiency in the 2025/26 NCAA season.
"Audi's tough," Jensen said about the Iowa State star. "She's just really, really incredible…. When you let her get it, she's pretty accurate."
How to watch Iowa vs. Iowa State in the 2025 Cy-Hawk Series
The No. 11 Hawkeyes will visit the No. 10 Cyclones in the 2025 edition of the Cy-Hawk Series at 7 PM ET on Wednesday, with live coverage airing on ESPN.
A full 19 months removed from their back-to-back Final Four runs, No. 11 Iowa basketball refuses to go away, with the Hawkeyes already notching one Top-25 win in the young 2025/26 NCAA campaign so far.
The still-unbeaten Hawkeyes took down No. 15 Baylor 57-52 last Thursday, with Iowa starting post players Hannah Stuelke and Ava Heiden combining for 28 points while guard Taylor Stremlow added another 12 off the bench in the marquee win.
"We have nice pieces," said Iowa head coach Jan Jensen this week. "But it's knowing when to play which pieces and with whom, and we're six games in."
The Hawkeyes have been finding their new identity under Jensen after a transformative period saw Iowa's longtime head coach Lisa Bluder retire while superstar guard Caitlin Clark joined the WNBA.
"Jan's been amazing," Stuelke told JWS at the Big Ten Media Day in October. "She stepped up like she needed to, and she's been growing every day since she's been the head coach, which it's really cool to see she cares. And it's a great environment for all of us."
"I have a year under my belt," Jensen echoed. "I know what this chair feels like now, and I have a little better of understanding of what that first road trip feels like, what that first big win feels like, or the tough loss feels like."
Iowa's season heats up with a ranked rivalry matchup against No. 10 Iowa State on Wednesday, December 10th.
The state rivals will tip off at 7 PM ET, with live coverage airing on ESPN.