Iowa's Callie Levin pens heartwarming note for teammate Kennise Johnson's special day
Callie Levin and Kennise Johnson became teammates on the Iowa Hawkeyes last season, with Levin joining the team as a freshman. Although neither of them had a big impact on the court, they built a strong relationship off of it.
On Saturday, Levin penned a heartfelt message to her teammate on her birthday, wishing her the best.
"Happy Birthday to my other sis!" Levin wrote. "I'm so blessed to know such a kind person. My hair stylist, sister in Christ, hype buddy, thank you for the amazing memories! Here's to so many more! Love you and miss you so much Kennise Johnson."
Kennise Johnson is coming off a season where she did not play. She never got into the lineup as she battled a knee injury. She took a redshirt year and is expected to return next season. In her freshman season, she appeared in only 14 games, averaging less than a point per game.
Callie Levin, meanwhile, joined the team last year and got limited playing time. She appeared in only 10 games, averaging less than a point per game.
Callie Levin and Kennise Johnson will try to earn rotational minutes on Iowa next season
While they joined the team a year apart, Callie Levin and Kennise Johnson will start the 2025-26 season in similar positions. Neither player has established themselves as a rotational piece on the Hawkeyes' roster and will hope to change that this coming season. However, it could be challenging given the depth the team has.
On Friday, Hawkeyes Wire writer Josh Helmer posted his projections for next season's starting lineup and rotation. The Iowa starters were as follows:
- Chazadi Wright, PG
- Addie Deal, G
- Emely Rodriguez, SF
- Hannah Stuelke, F
- Ava Heiden, C
It is not surprising to see that neither was projected as a starter. However, they were not projected to play rotational minutes either. The Iowa bench rotation projections were as follows:
- Journey Houston, G
- Kylie Feuerbach, G
- Taylor McCabe, G
- Taylor Stremlow, G
- Teagan Mallegni, G
- Layla Hays, C
While Levin and Johnson are not projected to be in the regular rotation, that does not mean they will not play at all.