Iowa Hawkeyes guard Sydney Affolter underwent knee surgery and will be out until early November, head coach Jan Jensen said on Tuesday. She was one of the key players who helped the team reach the NCAA Tournament championship in each of the last two seasons.
"This is an unfortunate setback for Sydney, but she will work hard during her rehab and is expected to make a full recovery," Jensen said. "She has the support of her teammates and coaches, and we look forward to having a healthy Sydney back when she is given clearance from our medical staff."
With Caitlin Clark, Division I's all-time leading scorer and Iowa's most powerful weapon, now in the WNBA, the Hawkeyes knew they were going to have to regroup. Affolter is one of the most promising returners as she stepped in for starting guard Molly Davis when she suffered a knee injury during the final game of the regular season.
Affolter averaged 8.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game through her junior year, but those stats don't tell the full story. Her teammates had described her as the most underrated player on the roster, and she showed that late in the 2023-24 campaign. Affolter reached double figures in seven out of the last nine games, including 16 points on 50% shooting during the Elite Eight against Kim Mulkey's LSU Tigers, who won the tournament in 2023.
The Hawkeyes were ranked in the AP Top 25 all of last season, but they will have to prove themselves all over again. They are not only losing Clark, but also other top contributors in Davis, Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall.
This is not an ideal start for Jensen, who took over this summer after Lisa Bludder announced her retirement. However, the team still has a lot of potential. Getting Affolter healthy will be important, but Jensen does still have other players to rely on, including Hannah Stuelke who was the team's second-leading scorer last season.
Other Hawkeyes who did not see much playing time could also develop more, such as Taylor McCabe -- a player Jensen described as "one of the best shooters" she has ever seen. Meanwhile, four of Iowa's five incoming freshmen are ranked in ESPN's top 100. The highest-ranked player is No. 40 Ava Heiden, a 6-foot-4 post presence who should give the Hawkeyes a boost on defense.
Last but not least, Iowa also added Villanova transfer Lucy Olsen, who was the nation's third-leading scorer last season behind Clark and USC star JuJu Watkins.
The Hawkeyes are set to tip off their 2024-25 season on Nov. 6 when they host Northern Illinois. Before that, they will have an exhibition game against Missouri Western on Oct. 30.