Iowa’s Taylor McCabe Goes Down Early With Knee Injury, Hawkeyes Rally Behind Addie Deal in Blowout Win
IOWA CITY - Just 23 seconds into Iowa’s showdown with Ohio State, the air inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena shifted.
Taylor McCabe, one of the Hawkeyes’ most reliable sharpshooters, went down with a non-contact injury to her left knee on the game’s opening possession. The senior from Fremont, Nebraska, had to be helped off the court and was later seen on the bench before halftime, but the early signs weren’t promising.
“I don’t know for sure, but I think it’s a tough one,” associate head coach Jan Jensen said after No. 10 Iowa’s emphatic 91-70 win over No.
12 Ohio State. “I’m really, really sick about Taylor’s injury.
It’s heartbreaking.”
McCabe underwent an MRI on Sunday night, and while the team is still awaiting a full diagnosis, Jensen admitted she’s “hoping against hope” for a return this season. At the very least, McCabe won’t be available for Iowa’s upcoming road trip to Los Angeles, where the Hawkeyes are set to face USC on Thursday and UCLA on Sunday in a critical Big Ten stretch.
McCabe’s absence is no small blow. She’s the team’s fourth-leading scorer at 8.1 points per game and one of the most efficient perimeter threats in program history. Her 37.8% shooting from three this season is right in line with her career average of 40.7%, and her 177 made threes place her 11th all-time in Iowa’s record books.
“She was in the back of our minds,” teammate Kylie Feuerbach said. “I’m praying for her. I hope that everything’s OK.”
But in the wake of McCabe’s injury, Iowa didn’t fold. In fact, they responded with one of their most complete performances of the season - and it was freshman Addie Deal who stepped up in a big way.
Deal, thrust into a larger role, delivered a career-high 20 points, providing a crucial spark off the bench and helping Iowa maintain its offensive rhythm.
“As soon as my number is called, I’m going to go out there and give it my all,” Deal said after the game.
She did exactly that - attacking the rim, knocking down shots, and showing poise beyond her years. It was the kind of performance that not only helped Iowa cruise to its ninth straight Big Ten win but also offered a glimpse of the team’s depth and resilience.
The win moves Iowa to 18-2 overall and 9-0 in conference play, but the focus postgame wasn’t on the scoreboard. It was on McCabe - a senior leader, a floor spacer, and someone who’s poured herself into this program.
Her injury was a gut punch, especially coming on a night when Iowa had so much to celebrate. And to make matters more difficult for the McCabe family, Taylor’s sister Peyton - who plays for Drake - also suffered an injury on Sunday.
Now, the Hawkeyes turn their attention to a challenging West Coast swing, where they’ll face two top-tier Pac-12 opponents in USC and UCLA. The stakes are high, and the road only gets tougher from here.
But if Sunday was any indication, this Iowa team isn’t short on heart - or players ready to rise to the moment.