Former Iowa women's basketball guard Molly Davis recovering from knee surgery

Former Iowa women’s basketball guard Molly Davis recovering from knee surgery

Current Iowa forward AJ Ediger, who is roommates with Davis in Iowa City, went live on TikTok and mentioned the news.

April 18, 2024

Iowa guard Molly Davis waves to fans during a season celebration to honor the Iowa women’s basketball team’s historic run in the NCAA tournament at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa, on Wednesday, April 10, 2024. No. 1 South Carolina defeated No. 1 Iowa, 87-75, during an NCAA Championship game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio, on Sunday, April 7, 2024. The Gamecocks finished the season undefeated with 38 wins. The game marks Iowa’s second straight runner-up finish for the title.

Former Iowa women’s basketball guard Molly Davis had knee surgery Thursday morning, according to current Hawkeye forward AJ Ediger on a TikTok livestream.

The two live together in Iowa City, and during the livestream, Ediger mentioned that Davis is recovering from surgery. Davis was in the room with Ediger but wasn’t shown on camera.

Ediger said Davis “can’t move” and has a brace from her hip to her ankle on her right leg.

“AJ had to carry me up the stairs,” Davis added.

Davis, a fan-favorite known for her “heart, hustle, and headband,” suffered a knee injury in the final regular season game against Ohio State. She seemed to be in instant pain and had to be carried off the floor. Davis revealed during the live that she tore her medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL), a soft tissue ligament that connects the kneecap (patella) to the femur (thigh bone).

Head coach Lisa Bluder originally thought Davis would return sometime during the postseason, but the fifth-year guard never got healthy enough to where the coaching staff felt comfortable playing her.

One of the most special moments of this historic season, though, was with 20 seconds left in the national championship game against South Carolina. Davis checked in for the final time as a Hawkeye and got a standing ovation from the pro-Iowa crowd.

When Davis was introduced during the end-of-season celebration at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on April 10, she got another lengthy standing ovation as screams of “Molly! Molly! Molly!” rang through the building.

This place went bonkers for Molly Davis. pic.twitter.com/kwivEiZpo7

— Eliot Clough (@EliotClough) April 10, 2024

About the Contributors

Kenna Roering, Sports Editor

she/her/hers

Kenna Roering is The Daily Iowan's sports editor. She is a junior at the University of Iowa majoring in journalism with a minor in sports and recreation management. Kenna previously worked as a sports reporter for men's wrestling and volleyball and was the summer sports editor in 2023. This is her second year with the DI.

Grace Smith, Senior photojournalist and filmmaker

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Grace Smith is a fourth-year student at the University of Iowa double majoring in Journalism and Cinematic Arts. In her four years at The Daily Iowan, she has held the roles of photo editor, managing summer editor, and visual storyteller. Outside of The Daily Iowan, Grace has held an internship at The Denver Post and pursued freelance assignments for the Cedar Rapids Gazette and the Des Moines Register.