INDIANAPOLIS — Iowa women’s basketball announced Thursday morning that sophomore center Sharon Goodman suffered a torn ACL in the Hawkeyes’ fall preseason practice.

Goodman will be out for the entirety of the 2021-22 season.

“That was a big loss,” head coach Lisa Bluder said at Big Ten Media Days Thursday. “In our first practice this year, she unfortunately went down with an ACL tear. Sharon was playing great. Last year she shot 55 percent from the field, she was a tremendous backup to Monika [Czinano] because she was so strong. She was playing at a better level this year, this summer, than last year. So, her game has really improved. I was really expecting big things from Sharon.”

The sophomore from Lime Springs, Iowa, will undergo surgery in Iowa City. Rehabilitation for an ACL tear can take six to nine months. 

“It’s a horrible thing to happen, especially to her,” senior center Monika Czinano said Thursday. “She’s one of the most caring and light hearted people ever. So, we’re all with her, the whole team, through her whole recovery, we’re going to be by her side.”

Goodman served as the Hawkeyes’ backup center behind Czinano in 2020-21, appearing in all 30 games her freshman season.

The 6-foot-3 center took pressure off Czinano in the post, averaging 8.7 minutes per game along with 3.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists.

With the loss of Goodman, Iowa will primarily turn to 6-foot-4 freshman center Addison O’Grady to back up Czinano at the five spot. Senior forward Logan Cook could also see time at the center position this season behind Czinano and O’Grady. 

O’Grady hails from Aurora, Colorado, and averaged 10.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game her junior year of high school.  

The freshman first arrived at Iowa as a versatile piece for the Hawkeyes — Bluder said she wasn’t sure if O’Grady would play at the ‘4’ or the ‘5’, as she possesses good guard skills and 3-point shooting abilities.

But after Goodman was confirmed to be out for the season, O’Grady moved to the post.

“Now, due to the loss of Sharon, it kind of inserted [O’Grady] into that center position immediately, out of need,” Bluder said. “And she’ll do a great job there. It’s not like we need her to come in and play 30 minutes, we need her to come in and play 10 great minutes like Sharon did last year. And what an awesome opportunity for a freshman to have that, you know, that opportunity. I just think she’s gonna shine with it.”

The Hawkeye freshman is still getting used to the physicality of the Big Ten, though, with some help from Czinano.

After being the mentee of former Hawkeye Megan Gustafson, Czinano has mentored both Goodman and O’Grady into a post position in the Big Ten.

Czinano is the most experienced player at Iowa, going into her fourth year on the Hawkeyes and third as a starter.

“It’s tough once you get to college and you have to realize the physicality of Big Ten play,” Czinano said of O’Grady. “… Girls aren’t afraid to give you an elbow or take you down. So, I think every day she’s been getting better, coming to more realization. And it’s hard being asked to do that on such a progressed time schedule. So, I think in the situation that she’s going through she’s doing a phenomenal job.”

O’Grady will have about a month of preseason practice before she sees the court, as the Hawkeyes start their season Nov. 9 against New Hampshire at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.