Molly Davis 'Hopeful' to Return for NCAA Tournament

Don't hang up those headbands just yet.

Iowa announced Monday that fifth-year senior PG Molly Davis, who suffered a knee injury in the second quarter of Sunday's win over Ohio State, was "hopeful" to return in the postseason.

“While we feel for Molly that she got injured during Senior Day, we are so thankful that the injury she sustained is not season-ending,” said head coach Lisa Bluder in a statement released by the university. “Our program has appreciated everyone’s support and prayers as we look forward to her return at some point during the postseason.”

Davis "is expected to undergo physical therapy next week to improve mobility for postseason play," according to the statement.

The irrepressible Davis averages 6.1 points and 3.1 assists per game for the Hawkeyes, and has started 26 of Iowa's 30 contests as a key backcourt contributor next to all-everything guard Caitlin Clark. The 5'7" graduating senior has especially endeared herself to Hawkeye fans this season for her mix of energy, basketball IQ, and signature black headband.

"Molly's given us so much this year," Bluder said after the Ohio State win. "We really need her."

While the news still leaves the Hawkeyes without one of their most dynamic playmakers for the Big Ten Tournament — Iowa's last opportunity to play its way back into a 1-seed for March Madness — the very potential of Davis' return to Iowa's lineup is more than many fans would have expected from today's news, especially after seeing her carried off the court and returning in a wheelchair on Sunday.

During Davis' as-yet indefinite absence, Iowa will look to increased minutes from the rest of its backcourt rotation, with Sydney Affolter and Kylie Feuerbach the likely beneficiaries.

Affolter (7.1 points per game, 6.3 rebounds per game) has started three games this season, and at 22 minutes per game has earned ample trust from the coaching staff; she seems the most likely to assume Davis' spot in the starting five.

Affolter is not quite the dynamo with the ball in her hands as Davis is, but Affolter's size and toughness on the interior add dimensions to the Hawkeye attack themselves. If Affolter can maintain her effectiveness as a distance shooter (35.1% on the year), Iowa can continue to punish teams that collapse heavy on Clark's drives.

Meanwhile, Feuerbach played nearly 10 minutes of the second half against Ohio State after just 3:49 in the first, and her four steals Sunday along with a recent stretch of hot shooting (8-for-17, or 47.1% from deep in her last three games) make her a two-way weapon on the perimeter in her own right.

"I'm really proud of Kylie and Syd and how well they're playing and taking up the slack," Bluder said after Sunday's game.

Neither Affolter or Feuerbach is Molly Davis, though, and Iowa went 2-2 in the four-game stretch in mid-February where Davis was limited by illness. Davis' presence as a playmaker clearly matters.

That stretch, where Davis started all four games but scored a combined nine points in 55 minutes, did at least provide Iowa some experience trying to compete without its senior playmaker available. Indeed, Iowa was a +12 without Davis on the floor against second-ranked Ohio State Sunday, so the team has figured out some ways to manage.

Bluder is scheduled to meet with the media at 12:15 PM CT on Tuesday afternoon.