The Iowa women’s basketball team kicked off Big Ten conference play in style with a dominant 79-36 road win over Rutgers.Behind a well-balanced offensive attack and a stifling defense, Jan Jensen’s Hawkeyes moved to 9-0 and 1-0 in conference play. This sets up a huge road matchup with rival Iowa State on Wednesday, which will feature two ranked teams and star players on both sides.Before that game, it’s time to look back on Iowa’s commanding win over the Scarlet Knights on Saturday afternoon. What did we learn about this team in its conference opener?Here are the biggest takeaways from the Hawkeyes’ 79-36 win over Rutgers:Defensive masterpieceSaturday’s win over Rutgers was one of the best defensive games you’ll see a team play at any level of the sport. Iowa held Rutgers to 18 points in the first three quarters combined before the Scarlet Knights added on in fourth-quarter garbage time. Rutgers shot 22% from the field and 1-of-12 from three, a testament to the Hawkeyes’ ability to close out, contest shots, and get the board. Iowa won the rebounding battle, 49-36, and forced 15 Rutgers turnovers, which turned into 17 points for the Hawkeyes.A lot of credit needs to be given to Jensen and the coaching staff for the game plan, as well as the players for executing it effectively. Combine this caliber of defensive play with the offense Iowa has, and you can see why this team is ranked as high as it is.Ava Heiden stuffs the stat sheet (again)Ava Heiden has been one of the breakout stars in the Big Ten conference this season, and Saturday’s win was just another example of her dominance. The sophomore center had 17 points, four rebounds, five assists, two steals, and three blocks against the Scarlet Knights. She shot 8-of-13 from the field and only picked up one foul, a testament to her defensive growth.Heiden is averaging 16.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game this season. She’s one of 16 players nationally to average at least 16 points and nine rebounds per game this season. Of those 16 players, Heiden has the second-highest field goal percentage, making 63.7% of her shots this year. Only Avery Koenen of North Dakota State has a higher field goal percentage with those same averages. Heiden has been fantastic this year, and Iowa will need her to be at her best for a matchup with Audi Crooks on Wednesday.True freshmen shineIowa’s 2025 freshman class was highly touted entering the season, but sometimes it takes some time for freshmen to find their footing. That hasn’t been the case for this particular class, as they’ve caught on quickly and are making a big impact. The trio of Journey Houston, Addie Deal, and Layla Hays have been great this season, and all three contributed to the big win over Rutgers on Saturday.Houston had 14 points and eight rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench. Deal played the same number of minutes off the bench, pitching in eight points. And Hays had nine points and four rebounds in just 18 minutes. That trio is quickly establishing itself as key players on this team, with the talent to take over stretches of the game. It makes the Hawkeyes deeper and far more dangerous to game plan against. So far, this recruiting class has been a complete hit for Jensen and the coaching staff.Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Zach on X: @zach_hineyThis article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Monday Morning Takeaways: Iowa women’s basketball stomps Rutgers