The Hawkeyes knew that they were in for a tough transition year, but no one expected the heartbreak to hit this hard. While everyone had been laser-focused on how the team was going to make it through without WNBA-bound Caitlin Clark, the exodus from Iowa City is quite bigger than just one superstar. The team had to deal with the departure of Kate Martin, Gabbie Marshall, and Molly Davis—all pillars of the program. And as if that wasn’t enough, Hannah Stuelke also had to fight back tears about the exit of another key player.

After the 96-62 NCAA Tournament loss to Oklahoma, Hannah Stuelke got emotional speaking about how Sydney Affolter’s presence was not going to be a steady presence now. “I’m sorry, you started it! Don’t look at me. I’m going to miss her a lot,” she said with a cracking voice. “She means everything; she’s been a great leader; she stepped up every day leading us and I’ve learned a lot from her.”

Well, it is true. Sydney, without any doubt, was the heartbeat of the program. Iowa’s run to the NCAA title game last year might have been derailed without her clutch paint performance against West Virginia in the round of 32. Without her, there would not have been a TV audience of 18.9 million viewers. But her impact went way beyond stats. It is not without reason that she is called the “Big Dawg”. Without her in the team, who is going to shower the younger players with tough love? And that is another thing Stuelke is worried about.

When Caitlin left, the team still had these seniors that Stuelke could count on. So, she only felt that Caitlin’s absence was weird, considering that she’s such a big personality. Now that the roster has reshaped itself a lot and people she was relying on are gone, she knows that it’s on her to figure things out. That is why the realization hit her like a fast break gone wrong, as she added, “And that’s going to have to be me…..So yeah, she’s been a really great friend and a great teammate.”

Coming to Affolter, she is not sure of what her basketball future holds. However, one thing she knows is that she will take Iowa’s legacy wherever she goes, a program that redefined the game. “We didn’t really realize how we impacted people until we got some videos saying, like, ‘Oh, I was battling cancer and then I got to release that stress and watch you guys play,’” Affolter said in February. “Being a part of such a special group that was able to do that is really cool.”

While this isn’t how the Iowa seniors wanted to go, Affolter isn’t holding any regrets. Postgame, she herself was in tears as she shared, “

We honestly cannot hold any doubts regarding that, even if we wanted to. After all, who showcases that friendship better than Clark and Stuelke?

How Caitlin Clark helped Hannah Stuelke this past season

At September’s end, the Hawkeyes announced that they had sold out all 15,000 season tickets for the second consecutive year. Despite CC’s departure, the Hawkeys fans wanted to follow the team, and the WNBA ROTY made sure to pass on the advice to keep shining.

“Yeah, she texts me like every other day just to make sure I’m in the gym and seriously, where else would I be? But yeah, I think, we just have such a good relationship and we like to keep it fun, so I think just staying in the gym, I guess.” Iowa forward Hannah Stuelke sat down for an interview with CBS Sports to discuss the team’s challenges and shared her bond with WNBA star Caitlin Clark.

Previously, when the Junior forward shared photos ahead of the 2024-25 season, CC made sure to keep an eye out. “Less photoshoots. More work💯 ya got me?” It was a lighthearted jab that perfectly captured their fun dynamic while also reminding the forward to keep her focus on the court.

Last year, it was Caitlin Clark; meanwhile, this year, it is senior guard Sydney Affolter who moves on from the Hawkeyes. And we will come across some pieces of advice from her too.