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…
