The #3 in Class 4A Norwalk girls basketball team is currently 7-1 and 3-0 in conference play at the winter break hiatus of the 2025-26 season. They are second in the Little Hawkeye Conference behind #1 in 4A Dallas Center-Grimes, who Norwalk will open 2026 conference play against on Tuesday, January 6th, in Grimes. 

Norwalk is coming off of a 23-2 season last year, in which they narrowly won the Little Hawkeye Conference title and lost in the 4A State Semifinals to Xavier by ten points. In their seven wins so far this year, Norwalk has won by an average of 27.5 points a game, with the closest win being a 19-point win over Pella. In their last game of the year, Norwalk fell to #1 in Class 3A Maquoketa by five points to record their first loss of the season. Norwalk ends 2025 first in the state in total free throws made (117), fourth in field goal percentage (46.6%), and fourth in free throw percentage (72.7%) 

The Warriors have been led in scoring by sophomore Braylyn Birmingham for the second straight season. She averages 32.2 points per game, which is second-best in the state across all classes. She is also the state’s leader in made free throws per game with 8.5. In addition to scoring, Birmingham also leads Norwalk in rebounds (6.8), assists (4.1), steals (4.2), and three-point percentage (47.8%). 

Second in scoring for Norwalk is senior Ava Carlson, scoring eight points per game at a team-best 61.9% from the field. Other statistic leaders include Pearl Brown in blocks per game (1.1), and Hannah Overholser in free throw percentage (100%).

The Norwalk girls will begin 2026 with a home non-conference matchup against 1-4 Ankeny Centennial on Saturday, January 3rd. Following that, they will return to conference play with three games against Dallas Center-Grimes, Newton, and Oskaloosa. Head coach Joe Sigrist tells KNIA Sports the remainder of the season won’t be a walk in the park.

“This is going to be where our schedule turns and becomes a lot tougher. So, we’ve got to put 32 minutes together on most nights from here on out if we want to be successful.”

The first Norwalk basketball broadcast on KNIA in 2026 will be the January 6th doubleheader at DCG. Coverage will begin that evening at 5:45 p.m. on KNIA3.