LINCOLN, Neb. — Monday’s Iowa vs. Nebraska basketball game was not the final home-state appearance that Taylor McCabe envisioned.
The Hawkeyes’ senior sharpshooting guard was on crutches in pregame at Pinnacle Bank Arena, her left knee immobilized in a sturdy brace.
The Fremont, Nebraska, native was about to miss her fifth straight game after suffering a torn ACL Jan. 25 vs. Ohio State. Her Feb. 6 surgery, though, lasted nearly 2 hours, she told the Des Moines Register, because Dr. Brian Wolf discovered that McCabe also had torn her meniscus in that non-contact play against the Buckeyes.
The severity of the knee injury being worse than initially realized means McCabe’s recovery will be longer than expected; she will now be on crutches for up to 2 months instead of a few weeks. McCabe is hopeful to return to Iowa as a graduate-assistant coach next season while pursuing a graduate degree in structural engineering.
It was on Feb. 10, 2025, that McCabe lasered home five 3-pointers and scored 17 points in Iowa’s 81-66 road win at Nebraska, a special moment for her in front of family and friends. She had supporters on hand here at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Monday, too, when the Hawkeyes notched an 80-67 victory.
Her presence was a reminder about how much she’s meant to the Hawkeyes and how they’ve got to proceed without her. For the first time since her injury, with Stremlow playing a prominent role, it feels like they’re on a definitively positive path.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Taylor McCabe knee surgery revealed more damage than expected
Reporting by Chad Leistikow, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
