"She's starting to separate herself", freshman center Ava Heiden impressing in year one

Iowa Women’s Basketball has always been known as a school that constantly churns out quality post players year after year. Over the past decade they’ve had Bethany Doolittle, followed by National Player of the Year Megan Gustafson, and most recently, Monika Czinano. Last season however, the Hawkeyes went a different way, predominantly using power forward Hannah Stuelke at the five. Although head coach Jan Jensen stands behind that decision, they are hoping to change things up this season.

“I think the hand we played last year was the correct hand. I’ll stand by that forever. Even if we wouldn’t have gone to the Final Four,” said Jensen. “We would like to play (Hannah) at the power forward, which then opens it up for Ava Heiden, Addison O’Grady and AJ Ediger. There’s three in the post, they’re all doing a really great job.”

Ava Heiden may be the answer at the five. A freshman, four-star center from Sherwood, Oregon, Ava is an athletic post player than can run the floor, finish around the rim, grab rebounds, block shots and shoot the mid-range jump shot. As she has settled in and gotten more comfortable during preseason workouts, she has begun to assert herself as the best center on the roster. It’s looking more and more likely that her first Carver-Hawkeye experience will come with her in the starting lineup.

“Ava Heiden is coming. She’s a really nice player, versatile and very athletic,” said head coach Jan Jensen. “She’s starting to separate herself. I expect Addi (O’Grady) to have a critical role, and AJ (Ediger), she battles, and she’ll be ready. They’re all showing great improvement, but I would say right now, Ava is really starting to separate.”

“I’m excited we have (assistant coach) Randi Henderson back for many reasons on our staff, but Randi was our first All-Big Ten center here, so I’m glad that Ava is going to have four years learning from her.”

For a freshman, especially one that is hoping to crack into the starting lineup on day one, learning and getting acclimated to the speed and physicality of the Big Ten is the biggest key. Ava has worked with new assistant coach Randi Henderson, who was an All-Big Ten selection as a senior at Iowa under Lisa Bluder and Jan Jensen, while her teammates Addi O’Grady and AJ Ediger have helped her through the summer as well.

“She’s just really explosive,” said Addison O’Grady on what she has seen from Ava in summer practices. “She has a really good hook shot and is able to grab boards, just snatches them down with one hand. Overall, she’s a really great player…I think she reminds me a lot of me when I was a freshman, so it’s really easy to relate to her and help her out.”

“I really like her (Coach Randi), I think we’re starting to get to know each other a lot better and she’s a great person, a great mentor and she’s teaching me a lot of new things,” said Heiden. “(Addi and AJ) are great teachers. They’re telling me exactly what I need to do, where I need to go, and how I need to approach plays that I’m in.”

When Ava steps onto the court to play her first minutes in a Hawkeye uniform, it will be her first time experiencing a Carver-Hawkeye Arena crowd in person. Being from Oregon, Heiden wasn’t able to get to Iowa City for games like her other freshman counterparts who were all within driving distance.

“I’ve never seen a game in Carver or anything like that, so I’m excited to be on the court for the first time, and to see all of the fans here and the excitement in the arena,” said Heiden.

Whoever it is in the starting lineup at the post position, production will be key to the Hawkeyes success, as they have had a post player average 10.0+ points per game in each of the last 14 seasons. If Ava Heiden does make the start in the season opener against Northern Illinois, she would be the first non-Caitlin Clark freshman to start in their collegiate debut since Kathleen Doyle in 2016.