Sydney Affolter is playing some of the best basketball of her career at Iowa. She's scored in double-figures in seven of the Hawkeyes' last eight games and posted nine or more rebounds in six of their last seven.
In Iowa's 79-66 win over Michigan on Wednesday, the Chicago native put up a career high 24 points on 9-12 shooting from the floor and 4-4 from the three-point line, along with 11 boards.
"That was a big confidence boost for myself," Affolter said on Thursday afternoon. "I think we've been playing really great basketball, and this is the time we want to do it. So, we're excited for our last game here, and then heading into tournament play. I think we're in a pretty good spot."
The entirety of Affolter's senior year hasn't played out the way she expected it to -- namely because of knee surgery prior to the start of the season that left the 5'11" guard out till November.
“This is an unfortunate setback for Sydney, but she will work hard during her rehab and is expected to make a full recovery,” head coach Jan Jensen said in a news release regarding Affolter's injury. “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.”
The injury, and a five-game losing streak in the middle of Big Ten play that set the women back on their plans of returning to the NCAA Tournament for what would be the seventh straight season (excluding the cancellation of the tournament during the 2020 COVID pandemic).
"It's a full game of 40 minutes," Affolter said following the loss to Oregon on the road. "It's not 20, it's not 30, and that's kind of been true for [all of] the games that we've lost this year."
Over that time span of five losses, Affolter was averaging eight points and 9.8 rebounds per game. Though she was more than effective on the boards, the Hawkeyes weren't getting it done as a complete unit.
"The start of the season was a little rough with my injury and just a new team," Affolter said. "So getting adjusted to that, it had its ups and downs. But, the highs always outweigh the lows."
Affolter and the Hawkeyes proceeded to turn the trajectory of the season on its head over the ensuing three weeks, winning six straight to catapult themselves back into contention in the Big Ten and into the NCAA Tournament conversation. Affolter has been a massive part of the team's turnaround, as they've gone 7-2 over their last nine, including a win over No. 4 USC at home.
Over the stretch of nine games, Affolter has averaged 11.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per contest. She's posted 10+ points in seven of those games and 11+ rebounds in five.
"I think I've been playing my best ball recently, and it definitely feels good," Affolter said Thursday.
"She's just been a huge, huge catalyst," Jensen added.
And Affolter has been and done so much more for women's basketball at Iowa than just this recent run. Affectionately referred to as 'Big Dawg' by fans, Affolter was a rotational player in in Iowa's first appearance in the National Championship in 2023 and stepped up in a big way for their return in 2024. Last season, she was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament team and earned a spot on the Albany All-Regional Team in the NCAA Tournament.
"Syd just does what you need [her] to do, and just goes hard and is tough as nails," Jensen said. "You just wish everybody had that drive. ... Last year, what was such a fun part of that story was when she got her shot she was more than ready. I think that's such a good example for a lot of the freshmen this year that are kind of waiting and are used to starring roles. I think Syd can show everybody how your time will come if you're patient. ... It's fun that she'd gotten a little bit of the shine here."
For a hooper that plays every game like its her last, Affolter, along with fellow seniors AJ Ediger, Kylie Feuerbach, Lucy Olsen and Addison O'Grady, will play her final game in Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday.
"It's definitely bittersweet," she said. "I'm really excited I get to take the court here one more time with some of my best friends, and obviously at the end getting to celebrate with everyone and my family who's been there for me since day one. So, it's really special, but definitely sad. This place will always be home, for sure. I have just loved playing here so much."
