Iowa Loses Sharpshooter Taylor McCabe for the Season with Torn ACL
The Iowa Hawkeyes just took a significant hit to their depth chart - and their locker room leadership - with the news that senior guard Taylor McCabe will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a torn ACL in her left knee.
The injury occurred just seconds into Iowa’s 91-70 win over Ohio State, a game that should have been a celebration of the team’s eighth straight win. Instead, it turned into a moment of concern when McCabe went down early and didn’t return.
By Sunday night, an MRI confirmed what the team feared. On Monday, associate head coach Jan Jensen made it official: McCabe’s season is over.
“This is incredibly difficult news for Taylor, her family, and our program,” Jensen said in a statement. “Taylor gave everything she had to this team, and her impact goes far beyond what has shown up on the court.”
That quote says a lot. Because while McCabe’s stats are impressive - 172 career three-pointers, tied for the best three-point percentage in program history at .407, and 561 career points - her value to Iowa has always extended beyond the box score. She’s been a steady presence, a floor-spacer who commands attention from defenses, and a teammate who knows how to lead by example.
“This isn’t how I imagined my senior season ending,” McCabe said in a statement. “But adversity has always been part of the game. I’m committed to my recovery and to supporting my teammates in every way I can the rest of this season.”
McCabe was averaging 8.1 points per game this season and shooting 37 percent from beyond the arc - a reliable weapon in Iowa’s high-powered offense. Her ability to stretch defenses and knock down timely shots gave the Hawkeyes another dimension, especially in Big Ten play where spacing and shooting are at a premium.
With McCabe sidelined, Iowa will now lean more heavily on a core rotation that’s likely to stay around eight players. Expect to see freshman Addie Deal and sophomore Taylor Stremlow take on larger roles alongside Chit-Chat Wright, Kylie Feuerbach, Hannah Stuelke, and Ava Heiden. Journey Houston and Layla Hays will continue to provide depth in the frontcourt.
Deal, a freshman out of California, is coming off a breakout performance - a career-high 20 points against Ohio State - and looks ready for a bigger stage. There’s also the possibility of more minutes for Teagan Mallegni and Callie Levin as the Hawkeyes adjust their rotation down the stretch.
McCabe’s injury is a tough blow, no question. But Iowa has shown resilience all season long, and this group has the pieces to keep pushing forward.
The Hawkeyes, now 18-2 overall and 9-0 in the Big Ten, hit the road this week for a crucial Southern California swing - a Thursday showdown at USC followed by a marquee matchup against No. 2 UCLA on Sunday.
McCabe, who was part of Iowa’s back-to-back NCAA national runner-up teams in 2023 and 2024, is set to graduate in May with a degree in civil engineering. She plans to pursue a graduate assistant role in women’s basketball as she works toward a postgraduate degree - a natural next step for someone who’s made such a strong impact both on and off the court.
For now, the Hawkeyes will move forward without one of their most consistent shooters and veteran leaders. But if we’ve learned anything about this Iowa team, it’s that they don’t fold easily.