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Iowa's Ava Heiden Earns USBWA All-American Honors
Sophomore center led the Hawkeyes in scoring and rebounding this season.
Mar. 18, 2026 at 3:45pm
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University of Iowa sophomore center Ava Heiden has been named to the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) All-America Honorable Mention team. Heiden led the Hawkeyes in scoring (17.4 ppg) and rebounding (7.3 rpg) this season while shooting a blistering 64% from the field, which ranks second in the Big Ten and third nationally.
Why it matters
Heiden's selection as an USBWA All-American continues Iowa's strong tradition of producing elite women's basketball talent. She is the first Hawkeye to earn this honor since Caitlin Clark, and Iowa has had at least one USBWA All-American in eight of the last nine seasons.
The details
Heiden's impressive 64% field goal percentage is the second-best mark in the Big Ten and third-best nationally. She also leads all power conference players in points per game improvement over the last two seasons at +12.6 ppg. Over Iowa's last eight games, Heiden shot a blistering 70% (74-of-106) from the floor.
- Heiden earned the USBWA All-America Honorable Mention on Tuesday, March 18, 2026.
- The second-seeded Hawkeyes will return to action on Saturday, March 21, 2026 against 15-seed FDU in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament.
The players
Ava Heiden
A sophomore center for the University of Iowa women's basketball team who led the Hawkeyes in scoring (17.4 ppg) and rebounding (7.3 rpg) this season while shooting 64% from the field, which ranks second in the Big Ten and third nationally.
Caitlin Clark
A former University of Iowa women's basketball player who was the last Hawkeye to earn USBWA All-American honors prior to Ava Heiden.
What’s next
The Hawkeyes will face 15-seed FDU in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, March 21, 2026.
The takeaway
Ava Heiden's selection as a USBWA All-American Honorable Mention is a testament to her dominant individual season and continues Iowa's strong tradition of producing elite women's basketball talent. Her efficient scoring and rebounding will be crucial as the Hawkeyes look to make a deep NCAA Tournament run.
