The No. 9-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes locked horns with the Illinois Fighting Illini at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in what was the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament. While the matchup itself carried plenty of stakes, what caught everyone’s attention was the presence of former Iowa star Kate Martin, who made a heartfelt return to the very place she once used to dominate. However, Martin made sure the spotlight was on head coach Jan Jensen.

Kate Martin, who recently wrapped up the 2026 season in Unrivaled, made a quick detour to Indianapolis to support her former program. Even after a demanding season, the Hawkeyes legend made it clear there was nowhere else she would rather be than cheering on her team.

“It was just a quick little flight change. Rerouted it to here instead of Iowa. But I always want to come support the team, come support Jan,” Kate Martin said during a courtside interview.

“Their record speaks volumes, and the Big Ten is a very hard league,” Kate Martin further added as she praised the job coach Jensen has done in her second season leading the Hawkeyes. “And to finish the regular season and get the number two rank in here in the Big Ten tournament, that just goes to show they have not dropped off a beat. They don’t care who is on the roster or whatever.”

“Jan has just stepped up and done a phenomenal job coaching these girls. And it’s been really fun watching them play. They just worked really hard, and they’re smart basketball players.”

And with how the game turned out, the Hawkeyes backed up Kate Martin’s praise with a commanding performance on the court.

They defeated Illinois 64–58 to advance to the semifinals of the conference tournament. While the final score may tell you that this was a close game, Iowa controlled much of it from the opening tip.

The Hawkeyes raced out to an early 19–7 lead after a quick 12–2 run and never surrendered control. By halftime, Iowa stretched that advantage to 37–23, which set the tone for the rest of the night.

Center Ava Heiden led the way with 16 points, while forward Hannah Stuelke returned from injury to add 13 points and five rebounds.

Defensively, the Hawkeyes were just as impressive. They held Illinois to just 33% shooting from the field and 23% from three-point range.

This win marked Iowa’s seventh straight victory, helping them to improve to 25–5 in the season and putting them just two wins away from another conference tournament title.

What’s next for Jan Jensen and the Hawkeyes?

The Hawkeyes will now turn their attention to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, where the No. 2 seed will face the No. 3 seed Michigan Wolverines. Michigan just advanced to semifinals as well after a dominating 80-58 win over Oregon.

The semifinal matchup is scheduled for Saturday, March 7, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Fans can catch the game live on the Big Ten Network or through the FOX Sports App.

If Iowa manages to get past Michigan, it will advance to the Big Ten Tournament championship game scheduled on Sunday, March 8, where the Hawkeyes would face the winner of the other semifinal featuring top-seeded UCLA and the winner of Minnesota vs. Ohio State.

If they go on to win the conference tournament, the Hawkeyes will secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Otherwise, they will have to wait until Selection Sunday to learn their fate.

Regardless of the outcome this weekend, Iowa is already in a strong position heading into the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament. With Selection Sunday set for March 15, the Hawkeyes are widely projected to secure a Top-4 seed, which would allow them to host the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament at Carver-Hawkeye Arena starting March 20.