Iowa women’s basketball 2024-25 schedule: JuJu Watkins and USC come to Carver on Feb. 2

IOWA CITY — The Sunday before Super Bowl Sunday, JuJu comes to town.

The Big Ten released its 2024-25 women’s basketball schedule Thursday afternoon, and the plums of Iowa’s home conference slate will come three weeks apart, in February.

Newcomers and title co-favorites USC (featuring national-player-of-the-year candidate JuJu Watkins) and UCLA invade Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Feb. 2 and Feb. 23, respectively.

The Hawkeyes, three-time defending Big Ten tournament champions, open league play Dec. 15 at Michigan State, five days before their non-conference finale (at home against UNI).

Then it’s all conference foes, starting with a home date Dec. 29 against Purdue, the first of three consecutive Sunday home games. The Hawkeyes will play at Penn State on New Year’s Day.

Iowa’s lone trip to the West Coast will be a four-day voyage to the Pacific Northwest. The Hawkeyes will play at Oregon on Jan. 19, at Washington on Jan. 22.

Other Big Ten highlights for the Hawkeyes:

* Iowa’s lone “double-play” will be against Nebraska. The Hawkeyes will host the Huskers on Jan. 16, then travel to Lincoln on Feb. 10.

* Cedar Rapids native Brenda Frese brings her Maryland squad to Carver on Jan. 5, then Indiana comes to Carver on Jan. 12. Both of those are Sunday games.

* Iowa plays at Ohio State, the reigning Big Ten regular-season champion, on Feb. 17.

Times and TV will be released in the coming weeks.

After two years in Minneapolis, the Big Ten tournament returns to Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis. The top 15 teams will play in the tournament, which runs March 5-9.

Iowa reached consecutive NCAA tournament finals in 2023 and 2024. Two starters are back (Hannah Stuelke and Sydney Affolter).

Next season marks the first season as head coach for longtime assistant Jan Jensen.

2024-25 Iowa women’s basketball schedule

Wed., Oct. 30 — Missouri Western (exhibition)

Wed, Nov. 6 — Northern Illinois

Sun., Nov. 10 — vs. Virginia Tech (at Charlotte, N.C.), 4:30 p.m., ESPN2

Wed., Nov. 13 — Toledo, 6 p.m., BTN

Sun., Nov. 17 — at Drake

Wed., Nov. 20 — vs. Kansas (at Sioux Falls, S.D.), 6 p.m., BTN

Sun., Nov. 24 — Washington State, 3 p.m., BTN

Thu., Nov. 28 — vs. Rhode Island (at Cancun, Mexico)

Fri., Nov. 29 — vs. BYU (Cancun, Mexico)

Sat., Dec. 7 — vs. Tennessee (Brooklyn, N.Y.), 6 p.m., FOX

Wed., Dec. 11 — Iowa State, 8 p.m., FS1

Sun., Dec. 15 — at Michigan State, 11 a.m., BTN

Fri., Dec. 20 — Northern Iowa

Sun., Dec. 29 — Purdue

Wed., Jan. 1 — at Penn State

Sun., Jan. 5 — Maryland, 5 p.m., BTN

Thu., Jan. 9 — at Illinois

Sun., Jan. 12 — Indiana, 2 p.m., Peacock

Thu., Jan. 16 — Nebraska, 6 p.m., FOX

Sun., Jan. 19 — at Oregon

Wed., Jan. 22 — at Washington, 8 p.m., Peacock

Tue., Jan. 28 — Northwestern, 7 p.m., BTN

Sun., Feb. 2 — USC, 12:30 p.m., FOX

Thu., Feb. 6 — at Minnesota, 7 p.m., BTN

Mon., Feb. 10 — at Nebraska, 7 p.m., BTN

Thu., Feb. 13 — Rutgers

Mon., Feb. 17 — at Ohio State, 11 a.m., FOX

Sun., Feb. 23 — UCLA, 1 p.m., Peacock

Wed., Feb. 26 — at Michigan

Sun., March 2 — Wisconsin, 3 p.m., Peacock

March 5-9 — Big Ten tournament (at Indianapolis)

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com