The Iowa’ Women’s Basketball program took another step forward in its quest to become an elite women’s basketball program, as McKenna Woliczko, the No. 6 overall recruit in the class of 2026, announced her commitment to the Hawkeyes this morning on her Instagram.
Woliczko, a 6’2 forward from San Jose, California, chose Iowa over South Carolina, USC, and Ohio State, but from what it seems like, the final decision was truly between the Hawkeyes and the Gamecocks. It’s a tremendous pickup for Jan Jensen — it continues Iowa’s upward trend as a program and eases any doubt (regardless of how unearned it was) that Jensen could land a big fish in a recruiting landscape dominated by powerhouse programs and big money, particularly after some of the ‘flashier’ names went elsewhere during the transfer portal season.
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Woliczko is the second-ranked power forward in the country by 247 after a sophomore season in which she averaged 22.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. Her junior season ended due to an ACL tear after only 10 games, but there does not seem to be major concern with her return to the court.
A dominant rebounder, Woliczko will primarily act as Hannah Stuelke’s replacement at the 4 position and will almost certainly be the day 1 starter there next season, but part of Iowa’s pitch was an opportunity to also play at the 3, which will unlock some interesting combinations for Jensen and the coaching staff depending on where other recruiting targets land.
The Hawkeyes hosted another 5-star recruit, Addison Bjorn, over the last weekend, but it doesn’t seem likely that Bjorn will be a Hawkeye after this announcement. Iowa’s next big fish being hosted on campus will be 5-star guard Jenica Lewis out of Johnston.
Woliczko choosing Iowa over South Carolina and the continue interest in the Hawkeyes in both the recruiting and transfer portal truly is a tremendous place to be for the program in the post-Clark era. It doesn’t hurt either that fan interest remains at an all-time high, with no stop in sight.
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This signing could be the beginning — or the continuation, depending on how you look at it — of turning this into a special program. If Jan Jensen continues to land the big commits and turns it into deep postseason runs, Iowa City should remain a destination for a long time.
