Iowa women's basketball player Taylor McCabe poised for bigger role in 2024

IOWA CITY — The current climate in college sports isn’t conducive to patience, and contingency plans have never seemed more visible or appealing. Taylor McCabe sometimes thought such a plan might work for him.

Starting her women’s basketball career at Iowa with little playing time for two straight seasons suggests an entry into the transfer portal in 2024, though the circumstances that led McCabe to sit out most games were understandable. A loaded backcourt carried the Hawkeyes to back-to-back national finals appearances while testing the perseverance of those positioned behind Iowa’s glamorous guards. McCabe was right in the middle of it all.

She’s still in the thick of it, but this time with a clear path to prominence after sticking with the Hawkeyes in a situation many wouldn’t. McCabe enters this new era of Iowa women’s basketball — after Caitlin Clark and after Lisa Bluder — as a centerpiece looking to have a breakthrough campaign in what could be her first collegiate season as a regular starter.

“It reminded me that not every day is going to be good, not every week is going to be good, not every hour is going to be great. But there’s always something coming,” McCabe said Tuesday, dripping with sweat and grinning from ear to ear after Iowa completed another productive practice. “Just keep a positive mindset and stay ready. That’s kind of my mantra.”

This approach may be easy to articulate but much harder to implement, especially for someone who relies as much on the outside shot as McCabe does. Countless practice reps and plenty of extra work are the cornerstones of any 3-point specialist — but that usually comes with in-game results that back up the long days spent in the gym. McCabe had to navigate his freshman and sophomore campaigns with a lot of first and little second.

There were sporadic splashes of brilliance when McCabe was given an extended run, though most of his output was brilliant after program mainstays Kate Martin, Gabbie Marshall and Clark had finished the night.

“I really felt for her,” said Sydney Affolter, a senior. “We’ve had pretty similar experiences. It’s hard to keep going. You put in all this work and you don’t get a lot of minutes on the court. It’s really hard, and I have a lot of respect for that. She’s always in the gym and always trying to get better. So I’m happy for her.”

An 18-point performance with six 3-pointers in Iowa’s 100-62 win over Florida Gulf Coast last November provided a taste of what could happen when the opportunity presented itself. Another eye-popping stat line came a few months later — 15 points with five 3-pointers in the Hawkeyes’ 108-60 win at Minnesota on Feb. 28 — followed by another 12-point performance against Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament.

Many were calling for more from McCabe last year as Marshall struggled with another shooting slump midseason. But the consensus was that Iowa’s ceiling was more easily reached when Clark, Marshall and Martin weren’t on the field. The Hawkeyes were going to live and die by their veteran guards. It’s hard to argue that a different approach would have yielded better results.

So McCabe has continued to progress, essentially benefiting from two years of on-court training that have positioned her to seize this opportunity and make it happen. In the midst of an offseason filled with transitions and roster changes, McCabe is now one of those veteran voices guiding new and younger players through the emotional whirlwind of life and college basketball.

“Taylor was a huge help to me, especially when my mom and I moved in,” transfer guard Lucy Olsen said. “She would show us around, take us to great restaurants and take us to the gym. I wasn’t allowed to come shoot right away, but I was looking forward to it. She let me in and we shot together. For me at least, I’d rather talk to someone who’s shooting hoops than sit on the couch. It really helps you bond, and she’s the first person I ever shot with.”

For a program that thrives on cohesion — but is looking to rejuvenate after the departure of a decorated senior class and a legendary coach — it’s small moments like this that can accelerate the chemistry needed to shine on bigger stages.

McCabe and Olsen are now perfectly in sync as gym rats who could shoot all day (and sometimes do). They’re also roommates and have become friends through their television excellence in multiple countries.

“Teammates who watch Love Island together really connect on the pitch, I guess,” McCabe said with a laugh, referring to the popular dating reality show that has editions in the US and UK. “She’s been fantastic. She’s a phenomenal player.”

McCabe knows she is, too, and she intends to take this opportunity to prove it. She won’t have to think anymore, won’t have to wonder about the future, won’t have to wonder if Iowa was really the best choice for her.

The girl with the shooting talent knows this is where she is meant to be.

Dargan Southard is a sports reporter who covers Iowa sports for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.