Sydney Affolter's impressive playing career came to a conclusion this past season. But Affolter's time in Iowa City isn't done just yet. On Monday, Iowa announced that Affolter will be joining Jan Jensen's coaching staff as a graduate student assistant.
“I’m beyond excited to remain with a program that has given me so much,” said Affolter in the release announcing the move. "It’s an honor to give back and support this team in a new role. I can’t wait to get started. As always, Go Hawks!”
Affolter played in 128 games during her Iowa career, starting 44 games, including 32 as a senior in 2024-25. Though Affolter averaged 5.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, and 1.7 apg over the course of her Iowa career, she really blossomed as a junior and senior, averaging 8.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg, and 2.3 apg in 2023-24 and 8.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg, and 2.7 apg as a senior.
After Molly Davis' injury late in the 2023-24 season, Affolter became a fixture in the starting lineup, starting all 10 games in Iowa's charge through the postseason that culminated in a second consecutive appearance in the national championship game. With the departures of program stalwarts like Caitlin Clark, Kate Martin, and Gabbie Marshall, Affolter became a key on-court leader for the Hawkeyes in 2024-25.
Affolter earned All-Tournament Team honors after the 2024 Big Ten Tournament and received All-Big Ten honorable mention recognition after the 2024-25 season. She was also recipient of Iowa's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award following the most recent campaign.
“We are thrilled to have Sydney join our staff in this capacity,” said Jensen. “Sydney has been a tremendous leader for our program, and I am excited to continue to utilize her skillset as she begins her coaching career. I know our Hawkeye fans will also love continuing to see Syd involved with our program.”
