Deepali Verma is a multi-sport Editor at EssentiallySports with over six years of editorial experience. She ensures precision and high standards across diverse sports coverage, from basketball and motorsports to trending stories. 

A basketball player herself, Deepali is a devoted fan of Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. Alongside the excitement of the NBA playoffs, she passionately follows motorsports, especially Formula 1. When not refining content, she pursues photography, blending creativity with her love for sports storytelling.

Her editorial journey includes roles at digital media and video news houses, where she sharpened her skills in content creation and editing.

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Every year, the Iowa Hawkeyes and Jan Jensen are looking for a pool of players to find the correct fit that could elevate the program moving forward. And for 2026, it seemed to come to an end as they had the chance to welcome 2026 five-star shooting guard Jenica Lewis, who is also the top player in Iowa. But it looks like even this chance has failed. The Hawkeyes took a bit hit on the recruiting trail as Lewis committed to Notre Dame. The Johnston native, long considered one of Iowa’s top in-state targets, chose the Irish over Iowa, Oregon, and TCU after taking an official visit to Iowa City on October 25. “From every moment, every game, every dream — it all fits. Committed to Notre Dame,” Lewis wrote on X. Ranked as the nation’s No. 22 overall recruit and No. 4 shooting guard by 247Sports, Lewis recently earned Iowa MaxPreps Player of the Year honors after averaging 18 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.5 steals per game. But while Lewis is done, Jensen’s got another player to focus on. 

Top Iowa recruit Jenica Lewis chose another school over Iowa. Here's everything you need to know about her.

Yashika Dutta is a Basketball Writer at EssentiallySports, covering the NCAA, WNBA, and Olympics. A member of the EssentiallySports Journalistic Excellence Program, she specializes in the high-stakes energy of college basketball, with features on the Big Ten Conference and the chaos of March Madness that bring fans right to the hardwood. 

Her coverage has even caught the attention of UConn coaches and Olympian Rori Dunk, earning her recognition for both accuracy and insight. A former state-level basketball player, Yashika channels her on-court experience into reporting that captures the game’s intensity beyond the box score. With a player’s sense of timing and a journalist’s instinct for storytelling, she shines a light on rising stars like Caitlin Clark and JuJu Watkins, while unpacking the pressures and triumphs that shape college hoops.  

Whether charting a Big Ten rivalry or chronicling the ethos of March Madness, Yashika connects fans to the heart of the game with energy and authenticity.

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Yashika Dutta

Syndication: The Des Moines Register

Jan Jensen’s Iowa Loses Top Target Jenica Lewis to Notre Dame

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Jan Jensen’s Iowa Loses Top Target Jenica Lewis to Notre Dame - EssentiallySports

EssentiallySports is the home for the underserved fan, delivering storytelling that goes beyond the headlines. As a media platform, we combine deep audience insights with cultural trends, to meet fandom where it lives and where it goes next. Founded in 2014, EssentiallySports now engages with an audience of over 30m+ American sports fan on its website and 1m+ readers on its newsletters daily.

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Yashika Dutta is a Basketball Writer at EssentiallySports, covering the NCAA, WNBA, and Olympics. A member of the EssentiallySports Journalistic Excellence Program, she specializes in the high-stakes energy of college basketball, with features on the Big Ten Conference and the chaos of March Madness that bring fans right to the hardwood. Her coverage has even caught the attention of UConn coaches and Olympian Rori Dunk, earning her recognition for both accuracy and insight. A former state-level basketball player, Yashika channels her on-court experience into reporting that captures the game’s intensity beyond the box score. With a player’s sense of timing and a journalist’s instinct for storytelling, she shines a light on rising stars like Caitlin Clark and JuJu Watkins, while unpacking the pressures and triumphs that shape college hoops. Whether charting a Big Ten rivalry or chronicling the ethos of March Madness, Yashika connects fans to the heart of the game with energy and authenticity.