IOWA CITY — Iowa's new-look women's basketball team will start the regular season short-handed, as senior guard Sydney Affolter recently underwent knee surgery and is expected to be out until early November, according to a news release from the University of Iowa on Tuesday afternoon.

“This is an unfortunate setback for Sydney, but she will work hard during her rehab and is expected to make a full recovery,” said head coach Jan Jensen. “She has the support of her teammates and coaches, and we look forward to having a healthy Sydney back when she is given clearance from our medical staff.”

Affolter averaged 8.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game last season, providing energy off the bench as well as spot-starting in postseason play after Molly Davis suffered what turned out to be a season-ending knee injury during the regular season finale against Ohio State. Affolter averaged 12.7 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists as a starter in those nine postseason games, and started 12 games altogether for the Hawkeyes last year.

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Statistics almost do a disservice to Affolter's contributions to the team, though. Her hard-nosed defense and willingness to scrap for loose balls added the element of toughness the Hawkeyes needed around Caitlin Clark.

Moreover, while Affolter won't be confused for the limitless Clark with her perimeter shooting, she did vastly improve her three-point shooting last season to a blistering 41.4% rate, after making less than 20% from behind the arc in her first two seasons as a Hawkeye.

Affolter is also stepping into a leadership role this season with the young Hawkeyes, who lost five seniors and head coach Lisa Bluder from last season's team that made its second consecutive national championship game with Clark running the show.

That exodus of talent hasn't stopped fans from packing Carver-Hawkeye Arena for another year, as Iowa recently announced it had once again sold out the season ticket allotment for the year.

Based on the announcement, Affolter should not miss much of the season, and as one of the most experienced members of the team in 2024-25, she should work her way back into the rotation without much difficulty. With only three games (home games against Northern Illinois and Toledo and Virginia Tech in Charlotte) scheduled for the first half of November, Iowa has the luxury of patience with Affolter's recovery process.

That said, proven depth on the wings is a luxury this team does not have, and the absence of Affolter's versatility will likely force Jensen and the Hawkeyes into some more limited looks in the early going — especially with defensive considerations in play.

Unless one of the several true freshmen can step up into earning starter minutes, here's what an Affolter-less starting lineup likely resembles going into the season:

G: Lucy Olsen

G: Kylie Feuerbach

G/F: Jada Gyamfi

F/C: Hannah Stuelke

C: Addison O'Grady

Junior guard Taylor McCabe, freshman center Ava Heiden and senior F/C AJ Ediger are the most likely rotation pieces on the roster, though competition should put most of the roster in the mix for minutes in the early going.

Still, there's no replacing a unique skill set or motor like Affolter's, and Iowa will miss her near-positionless versatility on both sides of the ball until her healthy return. Indeed, Jensen's crew is fortunate Affolter won't be out longer, as she figures to be a key contributor as the Hawkeyes keep their sights aimed high in 2024-25.