Iowa Women's Basketball Notebook | Two first-year guards impress in last week's exhibition win, Sydney Affolter injury update

The long-awaited start of the Iowa women's basketball season is officially upon us.

The 110-55 exhibition win over Missouri Western has now taken six days, and yet the sample size of one game against a non-Power Four school is enough to feel good about the renamed program's upcoming season.

In Iowa's 45-point win, every Hawkeye scored at least two points and a rebound – a testament to the strength of this team. But what was loudest was the presence of first-year players, particularly guards Teagan Mallegni and Taylor Stremlow.

In just under 20 minutes played, Mallegni did everything for the Hawkeyes off the bench, scoring 18 points as well as three rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block.

The McFarland, Wisconsin native was the No. 64 overall prospect according to ESPN.com and the No. 2 prospect in Wisconsin according to PrepGirlsHoop.com. One of the better distance shooters in her high school class, Mallegni shot four three-pointers in her Iowa debut, showing why she was highly recruited by many Power Four schools.

“I just like her confidence and she’s a really good shooter,” said head coach Jan Jensen. “Everyone recruited her because she has that ability with that really quick release… They've gotten a taste of what we can hopefully look forward to from her.”

The strong start was more expected than surprising, however, and earned high praise from fourth-year guard Sydney Affolter, who was watching from the sidelines.

“Teagan played exceptionally well,” said fourth-year guard Sydney Affolter. “I’ve been seeing this since the summer. Her talent is through the roof… The ceiling is the limit for her.”

Stremlow, ranked No. 88 overall by ESPN.com and a Wisconsin native, logged 25 minutes in the exhibition win, more than any Hawkeyes off the bench.

Her performance as a 5-foot-10 guard with six points and nine rebounds shows promise as the all-around player she was in high school, when she averaged nearly a triple-double her junior year.

“I have to give a big shout out to Taylor Stremlow,” said head coach Jan Jensen. “She just does whatever you ask of her. She played the replacement version. She's really a three, but she'll play the backup two. Hell, this kid would even play as a backup five if needed.”

With Jensen transitioning to a shorter rotation over time, both first-years' performances in their debuts certainly put them in position to see meaningful minutes on a nightly basis.

Update on Affolter injuries

Affolter, who was crowned the Hawkeyes' top player, continues to sit out while she recovers from a knee injury and offseason surgery.

The fourth-year guard is not only one of the better and more experienced players on this strong Iowa team, but also a vocal leader on and off the court. And while she played well in the program's 2024 NCAA National Championship, she suffered from a nagging injury that worsened over time.

“I think it was just kind of tension and then how much pain I could endure before I had surgery,” Affolter said. “It was definitely a lot to deal with. (I'm) very happy that I did it. It was definitely necessary.”

She gave a positive update on her rehab and said she won't rush her return to court as she aims to be “100 percent by January.”

“It went well,” Affolter said of her recovery from injury. “It was hard being outside. I just want to be out there competing with my girls. But I know it’s a very long season… Hopefully I’ll be back soon.”

Northern Illinois

Northern Illinois will give Iowa a tougher challenge in its first game of the season. The Huskies play a style of basketball more comparable to what is seen throughout the Big Ten Conference.

“It will be a good introduction for non-conference teams,” Iowa guard Taylor McCabe said. “Typically we play more against small-ball teams where they run a lot more five-outs and it's a lot more screening actions that we have to guard. So we’ve been working on all of those moves, which is really good to build on the foundations of our defense.”

And every game Iowa plays is another opportunity to continue to build the culture, as nearly half of the roster is new to the program.

“We know we’re not going to be last year’s team – we’re not going to be the team we were two years ago, and we’re okay with that,” McCabe said. “So let’s embrace that, take on our own roles and see what we can do for this team.”

The Hawkeyes will look for their first win of the season against the Huskies on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Next

The Iowa women's basketball team will face Virginia Tech on Sunday, a rematch from last season, although both teams look much different this time around.