Five-star 2026 basketball recruit McKenna Woliczko commits to Iowa

The University of Iowa women’s basketball program has its first commitment for the Class of 2026, and it couldn’t be more blue-chip than this.

McKenna Woliczko, a 6-foot-2 forward from San Bruno, Calif., announced on Instagram on Wednesday that she will join the Hawkeyes next season.

A senior at national powerhouse Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, Woliczko picked the Hawkeyes over USC, South Carolina and Ohio State.

She has a press conference set for 5 p.m. (CT).

Woliczko (it’s pronounced Vill-ITCH-ko) is a five-star recruit, and the No. 6 player in the Class of 2026 according to ESPN. She becomes the first blockbuster recruit landed by the Hawkeyes since Jan Jensen was promoted to head coach.

She will join fellow Californian Addie Deal at Iowa next fall. Deal will be a freshman on the 2025-26 team.

Woliczko missed the majority of her junior season due to a torn ACL suffered Jan. 4. She underwent surgery Jan. 29, and is expected to return to full contact by the end of October.

At the time of her injury, she was averaging 22.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. She was a first-team all-American (by MaxPreps) as a sophomore.

She heads into her senior year with 1,457 points and 605 rebounds in her career.

Iowa also remains in the running for 2026 recruits Addison Bjorn (Park Hill, Mo.) and Jenica Lewis (Johnston), among others.

Bjorn is ranked 13th in the country, Lewis 19th.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com