Ava Heiden
| No. 5 – Iowa Hawkeyes | |
|---|---|
| Position | Center |
| League | Big Ten Conference |
| Personal information | |
| Born | Sherwood, Oregon, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
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| College | Iowa (2024–present) |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Ava Heiden is an American college basketball player for the Iowa Hawkeyes of the Big Ten Conference.
Early life and high school career
Heiden is the daughter of Randy and Kelly Heiden. She attended Sherwood High School and was a four-star prospect. She averaged 17.2 points, 11.3 rebounds, 4.0 steals, 3.0 assists, and 2.8 blocks per game.[1] In October 2022, she committed to play college basketball at Iowa, becoming the first Oregonian to play for Iowa.[2]
College career
During the 2024–25 season, Heiden averaged 5.0 points and 2.6 rebounds in 28 games.[1] During the second round of the 2025 Big Ten tournament against Michigan State, she came off the bench and scored all of her then career-high 11 points in the final 12:44 of the game. The game was tied when she entered, and Iowa won 74–61.[3] During the first round of the 2025 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament against Murray State, she scored a then career-high 15 points, and seven rebounds in 17 minutes.[4] She became the fifth Hawkeye freshman since 2009 to score 15 or more points in an NCAA tournament game.[1]
She was named a starter for the 2025–26 season in her sophomore year.[5] During the season opening game against Southern on November 3, 2025, she scored a career-high 21 points and 14 rebounds, for her first career double-double.[6] On November 20, 2025, during the WBCA Showcase against Baylor, she scored 18 points and 11 rebounds for her third double-double of the season. On November 22, 2025, against Miami (FL), she scored 20 points on 9-for-11 shooting with six rebounds, two steals and a block, to win the WBCA Showcase Championship. She was subsequently named the Big Ten Player of the Week, and USBWA National Player of the Week.[7][8] On January 22, 2026, against Maryland, she scored game-high 20 points and eight rebounds. On January 25, 2026, against Ohio State, she scored 18 points, eight rebounds, and a career-high four steals. She was subsequently named the Big Ten Player of the Week for the second time this season.[9]
References
- ^ a b c "Ava Heiden". hawkeyesports.com. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
- ^ Linder, Jeff (October 30, 2022). "Ava Heiden will be Iowa's first women's basketball player from Oregon". The Gazette. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
- ^ Hilas, Mike (March 6, 2025). ""Ava! Ava!"Hawkeye women knock off No. 24 Michigan State 74-61, reach Big Ten quarterfinals". The Gazette. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
- ^ "Heiden scores 15 as sixth-seeded Iowa routs No. 11 Murray State 92-57 in first round". MSN.com. March 22, 2025. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
- ^ Hilas, Mike (October 14, 2025). ""Ava! Ava!" could be an often-heard chant at Iowa women's basketball this season". The Gazette. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
- ^ Hricik, Madison (November 3, 2025). "Iowa women's basketball secures season-opening win over Southern, 86-51". The Gazette. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
- ^ "Iowa and Illinois Score Big Ten Weekly Women's Basketball Awards". bigten.org. November 24, 2025. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
- ^ "Heiden Named USBWA National Player of the Week". hawkeyesports.com. November 25, 2025. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
- ^ "Deal, Heiden Sweep Big Ten Weekly Honors". hawkeyesports.com. January 26, 2026. Retrieved February 22, 2026.