As the 2024 NCAA Tournament brought unprecedented attention to women’s basketball and turned Iowa’s Caitlin Clark into a global sensation, Sydney Affolter was in the middle of it all.
The junior guard, a Marist graduate, was one of Clark’s most valuable teammates.
Affolter cracked the starting lineup late in the season and had a huge NCAA Tournament, helping the Hawkeyes reach the national championship game, where they lost 87-75 to South Carolina.
“It was obviously so exciting,” Affolter said. “We played as many games as you possibly can. The team we had was so special. It was such a great group of girls and we were so close.
“It’s a goal going into every season to be Big Ten champs. We had a goal to get to another Final Four, and it was an amazing run to make it as far as we did. I think the impact we made on a lot of people was something super special.”
It was an impact that went far beyond Iowa City as the Hawkeyes helped put women’s sports in a huge spotlight.
Iowa played in the three most-watched women’s basketball games of all time this spring, with the national championship game drawing a record 18.7 million viewers — more than any game in the 2023 World Series or NBA Finals.
“I think people are talking about women’s basketball and women’s sports more than they ever have, and that’s super exciting,” Affolter said. “I’m a big advocate for women’s sports, so I think this is great. I love it, and I know how much all these women athletes deserve it.”
It’s fair to wonder, though, if any of it would have happened if it wasn’t for a big play by the kid from Chicago.
Before Iowa’s much-hyped battles with LSU, UConn and South Carolina, the Hawkeyes seemed to be in trouble late in a second-round game against West Virginia.
Facing a 52-52 tie with just over two minutes left, Affolter grabbed the ball in the backcourt following a block by teammate Gabbie Marshall and started dribbling up the court.
Just past half court was Clark, the top scorer in college basketball history, frantically waving her arms, calling for the ball as she felt she was open for one of her trademark long 3-pointers.
Affolter, though, saw an opening for herself. She drove to the basket, scored, got fouled and converted the 3-point play. Iowa went on to win 64-54.
“A lot of people have talked about that play and Caitlin calling for the ball,” Affolter said. “Honestly, I didn’t see her. It was our fast-break offense, and I’m definitely going to take it to the basket if I see an opening.
“I remember all my teammates getting hyped for me. We had a sold-out crowd, and the arena going crazy was super fun. It just felt like a little bit of a turning point in that game.
“It’s definitely a play I’ll remember forever.”
Clark said after the game that Affolter “did the right thing.”
In March, Affolter was thrust into the starting lineup after an injury to Molly Davis. She made the most of her opportunity and averaged 12.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists in six NCAA Tournament games.
“I think it’s always really been in me but it was just getting the opportunity,” Affolter said. “I’ve said a couple times I know how great of a player I am but there were other great players on our team.
“I’m always a workhorse in the gym. I stayed prepared, and I knew when my time came, I’d be ready.”
With Clark moving on to the WNBA’s Indiana Fever, Affolter is ready to play an even bigger role next season for Iowa. But she’ll never forget what it was like having Clark as a teammate.
“She’s a generational player,” Affolter said. “She’s truly once in a lifetime, and I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to play with her for three years. She made me a better player.
“She’s a great player, but she’s also a great friend.”
