Iowa Just Added Two More Hawkeyes… and the 2026-27 Roster Keeps Getting More Exciting
Hawkeye fans, the future in Iowa City keeps getting brighter.
On Thursday, the Iowa women’s basketball program officially announced two more additions ahead of the 2026-27 season, and both of them bring something Hawkeye fans love to see — talent, hunger, and a story worth getting behind. Transfer guard Bria Medina and Swedish freshman Ella Strömdahl are now part of the family, and if you have been paying attention to how Jan Jensen is building this roster, you can feel the momentum starting to grow.
This is not just another roster update. This is another sign that Iowa is reloading with purpose.
Let’s start with Bria Medina, because her story is the kind that Hawkeye fans are going to fall in love with fast.
Medina is coming to Iowa from Knox College, where she put together one of the most dominant scoring seasons in all of Division III women’s basketball. The 5-foot-6 guard ranked second in all of D-III last season, averaging an absurd 23.6 points per game, along with 5.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.7 steals. That is not just scoring. That is a complete, do-everything stat line from a player who clearly impacted every part of the game.
She arrives in Iowa City as a senior with one year of eligibility remaining, which means she is not coming here to ease into anything. She is coming here to compete, contribute, and make the most of her shot at the highest level. And that mindset is exactly what Jensen highlighted when announcing the addition.
“We are so excited to add Bria to our program,” head coach Jan Jensen said. “Her energy and gratitude to be a part of our family is the coolest part about her. She had a great deal of scoring success at Knox College and has an immense amount of appreciation for our sport. Her mindset and work ethic is what set her apart for us as we went through the process.”
That quote tells you everything you need to know.
This is a player who appreciates the opportunity. A player who earned her spot through production and persistence. A player who is walking into Iowa City with a chip on her shoulder and a love for the game that you cannot teach. Hawkeye fans tend to gravitate toward players like that — players who play with heart, who understand the moment, and who are not afraid to put in the work.
And then there is Ella Strömdahl, who brings something Iowa has never had before.
Strömdahl is the first Swedish player in Iowa women’s basketball history, and that alone makes this signing feel special. She comes to Iowa City from Uppsala, Sweden, and joins the Hawkeyes as the second member of the 2026-27 freshman class.
Her résumé is already impressive for someone her age. Last winter, she played for the Swedish academy squad RIG Luleå, where she averaged 6.5 points and 2.9 rebounds per game while developing against high-level international competition. She also represented Sweden at both the under-16 and under-18 national levels, which speaks to her pedigree and her ceiling as a player.
What makes her fit even more exciting is how Jensen described her game.
“Ella is a versatile wing that we are really excited about joining our team,” Jensen said. “We like her ability to put it on the floor and to shoot it. Ella has a ton of potential, and we are thrilled to have her in Iowa City. Just like Bria, Ella is a great young woman that we look forward to working with.”
A versatile wing. A player who can shoot. A player who can put it on the floor. A player with “a ton of potential.”
If you are a Hawkeye fan, that should grab your attention.
Iowa has built a reputation for developing skilled, basketball-IQ-rich players who fit a free-flowing, intelligent style of play. Strömdahl sounds tailor-made for that environment. She is the kind of long-term piece who could grow into something special over the course of her career, especially under a staff that knows how to develop guards and wings into stars.
And let’s not overlook what this signing represents on a bigger scale.
Iowa is becoming a destination — not just regionally, not just nationally, but internationally. Adding the first Swedish player in program history is a reminder that the Iowa brand has reached a level where players from across the world are taking notice. Hawkeye basketball is no longer just a Midwest story. It is a global one.
With Strömdahl now in the fold, she becomes the sixth newcomer joining the Hawkeyes for the 2026-27 season. Piece by piece, the roster is coming together. Piece by piece, Jensen is showing she knows exactly what she is building. And piece by piece, Iowa fans are getting more reasons to feel good about what’s ahead.
Because this is what reloading looks like.
Not panic. Not patchwork. Not desperation moves. Just steady, intentional roster construction, blending high-major experience, transfer-portal scoring, international upside, and the kind of culture fits that have always defined Iowa basketball.
Two more names. Two more stories. Two more reasons to believe.
Bria Medina arrives as a proven scorer with a chip on her shoulder. Ella Strömdahl arrives as a versatile young wing with sky-high potential and a chance to make history as the first Swedish Hawkeye ever. Together, they push Iowa one step closer to being the kind of team that can compete with anyone in 2026-27.
And if you’re a Hawkeye fan, you already know the feeling.
The roster is growing. The vision is clear. The future is loading.
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