Nebraska Women's Basketball Crushed by No. 15 Iowa

Huskers suffer fifth straight loss, fourth at home

Published on Feb. 17, 2026

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The Nebraska Women's Basketball team suffered a 80-67 defeat at the hands of No. 15 Iowa on Monday night. The Hawkeyes built a 17-point lead in the first quarter and never looked back, cruising to the victory. Britt Prince led Nebraska with 13 points, while Iowa's Ava Heiden tied a season-high with 27 points and 11 rebounds.

Why it matters

This loss extends Nebraska's losing streak to five games and marks their fourth straight defeat at home. The Huskers have struggled mightily in Big Ten play, falling to 5-10 in conference. The lopsided defeat to a ranked Iowa squad raises concerns about Nebraska's ability to compete with the top teams in the conference.

The details

Iowa jumped out to a hot start, shooting 71% from the field and 5-of-6 from three-point range in the first quarter to build a 25-13 lead. The Hawkeyes turned Nebraska's 13 first-half turnovers into 18 points. Iowa center Ava Heiden dominated inside, scoring 27 points on 12-of-15 shooting and grabbing 11 rebounds. Nebraska was unable to mount a serious comeback, with their closest deficit being 12 points in the third quarter.

  • The game was played on Monday, February 16, 2026.

The players

Ava Heiden

Iowa's starting center who tied a season-high with 27 points and 11 rebounds.

Britt Prince

Nebraska's leading scorer with 13 points in the loss.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

What’s next

Nebraska will look to end their losing streak when they travel to face Oregon on February 19th and then take on #25 Washington on February 22nd.

The takeaway

This lopsided defeat to a ranked Iowa squad highlights the struggles Nebraska has faced in Big Ten play this season, as they have now lost five straight games and fallen to 5-10 in conference. The Huskers will need to regroup quickly as they hit the road to face tough Pac-12 opponents in Oregon and Washington.