The ending wasn’t supposed to look like this. The Iowa Hawkeyes saw their NCAA run end in the second round against the Virginia Cavaliers. But for senior guard Taylor McCabe, her ending already came weeks earlier. And now, as she turns the page for the next chapter, the Iowa sisterhood is standing right beside her.

Taking to Instagram as the Final Four buzz took over the sport, McCabe shared a collage of moments from her journey with the Hawkeyes to pay a visual tribute to the career that ended sooner than expected.

“I started playing basketball because of my dad and high school musical,” she wrote in the caption of her post. “I ended playing basketball because trusting the process paid off, and I felt so much pride in playing for Iowa and the BEST coaches and teammates I could have asked for, I am so thankful for every opportunity I was granted and will forever be a Hawkeye!!! Stay low, shoot high, and let that mf fly! ♾️😂”

As soon as McCabe posted this, the response said everything about the impact she is leaving behind.

Former Hawkeyes star and WNBA sensation, Caitlin Clark, dropped a heartfelt message in the comments as she wrote, “So much to be proud of. Not many kids out there like you!!! Love ya 🤍🤍🤍🤍.”

It was a simple note, but it perfectly summed up the respect Taylor McCabe earned inside that locker room. And it’s easy to see why.

Before suffering a torn left ACL on January 25, McCabe carved out a crucial role for Iowa. The 5-foot-9 guard from Fremont, Nebraska, became a steady starter, a reliable 3-point threat, and a defensive presence that the team could lean on.

In 20 games this season, she averaged 8.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting 37.4% from beyond the arc.

Even though Iowa pushed into the NCAA Tournament, the absence of her veteran experience was widely felt as they eventually exited the season in the second round. But her impact goes far beyond just one season.

Across four years in Iowa City, McCabe appeared in 105 games and built a reputation as one of the program’s most efficient shooters.

She finished her career averaging 5.3 points while shooting 40.7% from three and 80.8% from the free-throw line. She finishes 11th in program history with 172 made threes, while her .407 clip from beyond the arc tied with Kristi Smith for the best in Iowa history.

However, if she had to take away one thing from her career at Iowa, it would be the relationships that she built.

Former Iowa player Kate Martin also took to the comments section and wrote, “Dawg.” Meanwhile, her teammate Callie Levin added, “Forever grateful for our friendship, love you t mac ❤️,” while Taylor Stremlow chimed in with, “Love you 2 🫶🏻 twins 4l!!”

Even after her season was cut short, there is no doubt she is one of the best shooters the program has seen. In early March, she was honored with the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award as part of the conference’s All-Big Ten announcements.

So these reactions didn’t just come out of nowhere; it’s exactly what McCabe earned over four years at Iowa.

What’s Next for Taylor McCabe? Iowa Star Faces an Uncertain Road Beyond College

The 2025–26 season felt like everything was finally coming together, until it suddenly wasn’t.

As a senior, McCabe stepped into a bigger role and took the opportunity to lead her team. But just as she started building momentum, it all came to a halt in the opening minute of a January 25 clash against Ohio State, where a non-contact torn ACL brought her career to an abrupt end.

But with her ability to space the floor, defend on the perimeter, and make smart decisions, McCabe had already shown exactly what she could be. So her skill set is something the WNBA still looks for.

And that’s where things get interesting.

Before the heartbreaking setback, Taylor McCabe built a case as a potential late-round sleeper pick in the upcoming 2026 draft. But the time has changed, and her draft stock has understandably taken a hit.

Teams are often cautious about using picks on players who won’t be available for training camp or the season, which makes her path to the league far less straightforward right now.

That said, it’s not completely off the table.

If a franchise does take a chance, it would likely come as a long-term investment, a ‘draft and stash’ scenario where her rights are secured while she focuses on recovery, to compete for a roster spot down the line once she’s fully healthy.

However, as her WNBA career remains uncertain, McCabe has already made different plans.

As she is set to graduate in May with a civil engineering degree, Taylor McCabe is expected to stay connected to the program by taking on a graduate assistant role.

“Obviously, it was not the ending I anticipated,” she said back in February as per SI. “I don’t know how I wanted it to end, but definitely not like this. But you can’t always control everything in life, so I know that I still have a role in this team. It just might look a little different.”

It may not be the next step she once imagined, but it keeps her close to the game she loves. And if her journey at Iowa has proved anything, it’s that she never needed a perfect script to leave a lasting impact.