IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The University of Iowa women’s basketball team is ranked No. 4 in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25 released on Tuesday. It is the team’s highest preseason ranking since 1994 and marks the second highest in program history.

The Hawkeyes have been ranked in the AP Preseason Top 10 in consecutive seasons for the fifth time in school history and the first time during head coach Lisa Bluder’s tenure.

A season ago, Iowa was ranked No. 9 nationally in the AP Preseason Poll and tallied 24 victories. The Hawkeyes won the Big Ten Tournament, a share of the regular season title, and earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Bluder’s squad returns all five starters from a year ago -- Caitlin Clark, Monika Czinano, Gabbie Marshall, Kate Martin, and McKenna Warnock.

The Hawkeyes were also tabbed as the Big Ten preseason favorite. Clark was voted 2022-23 Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year, while her and Czinano were both unanimously recognized by the coaches on the preseason all-conference team.