Iowa’s Taylor McCabe will miss the remainder of the season due to a torn ACL

IOWA CITY — The tone of Jan Jensen’s voice Sunday wasn’t optimistic.

“I don’t know for sure, but I think it’s a tough one,” Jensen said in reference to Taylor McCabe’s knee injury, saying she was “hoping against hope” that McCabe would be back this season.

Now Jensen does know for sure. And Monday’s news — McCabe will miss the remainder of the season to a torn ACL in her left knee — is a major blow to the depth of the surging Iowa women’s basketball team.

One of the most accurate outside shooters in program history, McCabe suffered the injury in the first minute of the Hawkeyes’ 91-70 win over Ohio State.

“This isn’t how I imagined my senior season ending, but adversity has always been part of the game,” said McCabe, a senior from Fremont, Neb., in a statement released by the university.

“I’m committed to my recovery and to supporting my teammates in every way I can the rest of this season.

“I’m grateful for the love and encouragement from my coaches, teammates, and everyone who has been with me throughout this journey at the University of Iowa.”

McCabe’s injury was confirmed with an MRI Sunday night. She will undergo surgery and will miss the remainder of the season.

She ranks 11th in career 3-pointers (172) and tied for first with Kristi Smith in 3-point percentage (.407).

This season, McCabe averaged 8.1 points per game and was shooting 37 percent from distance.

“This is incredibly difficult news for Taylor, her family, and our program,” Jensen said in Monday’s statement.

“Taylor gave everything she had to this team, and her impact goes far beyond what has shown up on the court. We are thankful she chose to be a Hawkeye a few years ago.”

McCabe finishes with 561 career points.

Her absence likely means Iowa will ride with primarily a rotation of eight players.

Expect freshman Addie Deal or sophomore Taylor Stremlow to join Chit-Chat Wright, Kylie Feuerbach, Hannah Stuelke and Ava Heiden in the starting lineup, with Journey Houston and Layla Hays providing frontcourt depth.

A freshman from California, Deal has surged recently and scored a career-high 20 points Sunday.

Also, more minutes might be in store for Teagan Mallegni and/or Callie Levin.

A member of Iowa’s 2023 and 2024 NCAA national runner-up teams, McCabe is set to graduate this May with a civil engineering degree.

She will pursue a graduate assistant position in women’s basketball to help her attain a postgraduate degree.

No. 8 Iowa (18-2 overall, 9-0 Big Ten) makes a southern California swing this week. The Hawkeyes will play at USC on Thursday, then it’s No. 2 UCLA on Sunday.

The Hawkeyes have won eight consecutive games.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com