Sydney Affolter, Kylie Feuerbach ready for expanded roles for Iowa at Big Ten women’s basketball tournament

Affolter will join the starting lineup in the absence of Molly Davis, who is recovering from a knee injury

Jeff Linder

Mar. 5, 2024 2:20 pm, Updated: Mar. 6, 2024 10:33 am

Sydney Affolter (3) helps up teammate Hannah Stuelke after Stuelke made a shot and drew a foul in Iowa’s 93-83 win over Ohio State on Sunday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Affolter will join the starting lineup at the Big Ten tournament this week in the absence of Molly Davis, who is out with a knee injury. (Geoff Stellfox/The Gazette)

IOWA CITY — Lisa Bluder had one beef with the all-Big Ten women’s basketball selection process:

“I thought that Syd (Affolter) would get sixth-player of the year,” she said.

This week, at the Big Ten tournament, Affolter will fill a different role:

Starter.

Bluder confirmed Tuesday that Affolter will join the starting lineup as Molly Davis begins recovery from a knee injury.

“Syd will start, and Kylie (Feuerbach) and Taylor (McCabe) will see more minutes,” Bluder said.

A junior, Affolter previously started three games earlier this season. She is fourth on the team in both scoring (7.1 points per game) and rebounds (6.3 per game).

“My heart was broken when (Davis) fell (in the second quarter of Iowa’s 93-83 win over Ohio State on Sunday),” Affolter said. “She’s such an awesome girl.

“She’s a very crucial part of our team. Kylie and me filling those minutes is going to be super important.”

Bluder said on her radio show Monday that Davis suffered an injury to her right kneecap. Tuesday, she said that it “was not a torn ACL,” and “wouldn’t require surgery.”

Davis won’t play this week in Minneapolis, will undergo physical therapy next week and could see action in the NCAA tournament.

“She is a very tough person, and is going to be ready as quickly as possible,” Feuerbach said. “When she texted our group chat (Monday) and said it wasn’t a torn ACL, we said, ‘Yay,’ and ‘Let’s go.’

“I’m going to step up and do whatever I can to help the team, do what I have to.”

Iowa (26-4) is the 2-seed in the Big Ten tournament and will face either 7-seed Penn State (18-11) or 10-seed Wisconsin (13-15) in a quarterfinal at 5:30 p.m. Friday.

The Hawkeyes, ranked No. 3 in this week’s Associated Press poll, are two-time defending tournament champions.

“When you’ve done it before, it helps you psychologically,” Bluder said.

Iowa defeated Penn State in its regular-season meeting, 111-93, and has beaten Wisconsin twice, 87-65 at Madison and 96-50 at Iowa City.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com