The top five women’s basketball players are returning to Iowa for the 2024–25 season. Hannah Stuelke and more.
Caitlin Clark’s time in Iowa City has come to an end, and the Lady Hawkeyes will now focus on the immediate future. With a generational talent now in the WNBA, they’re understandably planning to retool their squad for next season, including looking at the greatest recruiting class they can find and upgrading former backups to starting positions.
Iowa’s high school recruiting is plainly not the subject of this piece, as that is a whole separate article. That being said, here are the top five returning Iowa women’s basketball players for the next season, which includes a few familiar faces.
Top 5 returning women’s basketball players at Iowa: 1) Hannah Stuelke
Hannah Stuelke is expected to replace Caitlin Clark as the top scorer. The 6-foot-2 sophomore was Iowa women’s basketball’s second-best scorer this season, averaging 14 points per game. But now that Clark is gone, she will receive many more touches.
Stuelke’s scoring skill was on display in Iowa’s Final Four triumph over UConn, while Nika Muhl chased Caitlin Clark throughout the game. Stuelke led the team with 23 points and shot 75 percent from the field in the 71-69 win.
One may argue that Hannah Stuelke benefits greatly from having an outstanding passer feed her the ball, which she cannot create for herself. But this is how basketball is played.
If she needs to make her own shot, she can, but head coach Lisa Bluder’s offensive plans emphasize precision ball movement to capitalize on Stuelke’s superb finishing abilities near the basket.
2) Sydney Alter
With Stuelke potentially carrying the most of the scoring load, Sydney Affolter should be the next one up. She’s progressed from receiving garbage time minutes to becoming one of Iowa women’s basketball’s best players, and she’s expected to receive more touches as one of the team’s developing leaders.
Affolter is a versatile player who can do more than simply score the ball to help her team win.
This season, she averaged 8.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists, demonstrating her potential as Iowa women’s basketball’s Swiss Army knife.
3. Sharon Goodman
6’3 junior center Sharon Goodman should at least be a starter for Iowa women’s basketball this season. Her size and length could help to strengthen the Lady Hawkeyes’ frontcourt alongside Affolter, providing solid paint protection and another efficient scorer near to the basket.
4. Taylor McCabe
McCabe, a 5-foot-9 sophomore from Fremont, Nebraska, is expected to be Iowa’s next long-range sniper, capable of stretching defenses at will. She played in 33 games and averaged 46.1% from three, with nearly all of her shots coming from deep.
She’s not quite the three-point shot creator Caitlin Clark was, but she’s a superb point guard capable of torching opponents from downtown in the next season.
5) AJ Ediger.
Ediger, a 6-foot-2 junior, might fit well in Iowa’s women’s basketball frontcourt. With more minutes on the clock, she has the potential to be a valuable member of the Lady Hawkeyes’ low-post rotation alongside Stuelke, Affolter, and Goodman.
This season, AJ Ediger averaged 1.8 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 0.2 assists per game. Additionally, she shot 60.7% from the field. Her productivity will only increase as Caitlin Clark’s absence creates more scoring opportunities.