The Iowa Hawkeyes have become a powerhouse in women’s college basketball in a short amount of time. Thanks to the sensational Caitlin Clark, they made it to the national championships in 2023 and 2024. Although they lost there on both occasions, they established themselves as a heavyweight.
This past season, with Clark off to the WNBA’s Indiana Fever, they went 23-11, but they lost in the second round of the women’s NCAA Tournament to the Oklahoma Sooners by a final score of 96-62.
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Sydney Affolter, a key guard for Iowa, just wrapped up a four-year playing career for the school. She was just named a graduate school employee for Iowa for the 2025-26 season, and Gabbie Marshall, who played five seasons, was speechless in her reaction on social media.
Gabbie Marshall shares Iowa’s announcement about Sydney Affolter joining the coaching staff.Gabbie Marshall/Instagram
Affolter was a fan favorite during her time as a player for the Hawkeyes. For her career, she averaged 5.8 points and 5.0 rebounds in 19.5 minutes a game, and as a senior this past season, she posted 8.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals a game while shooting an outstanding 46.3% from 3-point range.
Iowa’s Sydney Affolter (3) and Taylor Stremlow (1) celebrates following the first round of the NCAA Women’s college basketball.SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
She stepped up her offensive game during the 2024 tournament after becoming a starter following an injury to guard Molly Davis. Unfortunately, she missed all seven of her shot attempts and went scoreless in Iowa’s loss to Oklahoma in the 2025 tournament.
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As for Marshall, while she wasn’t much of a scoring threat for the Hawkeyes, her defense helped them excel. She will now be going after a master’s degree as she looks to pursue a career in occupational therapy.
Related: Caitlin Clark’s Clear Admission on Her Job With Indiana Fever