Iowa Women's Basketball Sees Five Players Enter Transfer Portal

Hawkeyes must rebuild roster after losing key contributors ahead of 2026-27 season

Apr. 7, 2026 at 7:50pm

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A cubist-style painting featuring sharp, overlapping geometric shapes in Iowa's team colors of black, gold, and white, representing the fragmented state of the women's basketball roster after multiple player transfers.The Iowa women's basketball program faces a roster overhaul after multiple key players entered the transfer portal, leaving coach Jan Jensen to quickly rebuild the team's lineup.Iowa City Today

The Iowa women's basketball team has seen five players enter the transfer portal in the last 48 hours, including key contributors Addie Deal and Emely Rodriguez. Head coach Jan Jensen must now work to rebuild the roster and fill critical voids left by the departures ahead of the 2026-27 season.

Why it matters

The loss of five players, including a former five-star recruit and a talented transfer, is a significant setback for the Hawkeyes, who were a No. 2 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Iowa will need to quickly reload in order to remain competitive in the Big Ten and make another deep postseason run.

The details

The five Iowa players who have entered the transfer portal are: Kennise Johnson, Callie Levin, Teagan Mallegni, Addie Deal, and Emely Rodriguez. Deal and Rodriguez were both key rotation players, with Deal earning All-Big Ten Freshman Team honors last season. The reasons for the transfers vary, with some players likely seeking more playing time elsewhere.

  • The transfer portal officially opened on April 5, 2026.
  • All five Iowa players entered the portal within 48 hours of the portal opening.

The players

Jan Jensen

The head coach of the Iowa women's basketball team.

Kennise Johnson

A junior guard who saw limited action for the Hawkeyes, averaging just 3.3 minutes per game in six appearances last season.

Callie Levin

A sophomore who played only 6.1 minutes per game in 19 contests, averaging 1.2 points per outing.

Teagan Mallegni

Also a sophomore, Mallegni's role decreased from her freshman season, as she saw action in just 15 games and averaged 1.5 points per game.

Addie Deal

A former five-star recruit who started three games for Iowa and earned All-Big Ten Freshman Team honors, averaging 5.1 points and 1.6 assists per game.

Emely Rodriguez

A talented transfer from UCF who made an immediate impact for the Hawkeyes, scoring 7.2 points per game in 14.3 minutes over the first six contests, before an unknown situation led to her not appearing in a game past late November.

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What’s next

Iowa will need to quickly identify and recruit replacements for the five departing players, particularly in the frontcourt and on the wing, in order to remain competitive in the Big Ten and make another deep NCAA Tournament run in 2026-27.

The takeaway

The mass exodus of five players from the Iowa women's basketball team, including key contributors and a former five-star recruit, is a significant setback for the program. Head coach Jan Jensen must now work quickly to rebuild the roster and fill critical voids left by the departures ahead of the 2026-27 season.