While the Iowa women’s basketball team lost a lot of flashy and exciting shooting this past offseason, the Hawkeyes’ deep shooting game is still very much alive thanks to the efforts of players like third-year Taylor McCabe.
Standing at 5-foot-9, McCabe has garnered attention as a solid three-point shooter, with most of her career points coming from beyond the arc.
The guard’s success from downtown dates back to high school, where she was the recipient of numerous accolades, including being ESPN’s only ranked recruit from the state of Nebraska and the first Class A guard in state history to cross the threshold of 2,000 career points.
New head coach Jan Jensen noted the emergence of McCabe and other guards such as fourth-year Kylie Feuerbach during Iowa media day on Oct. 10.
“They get a shot to take the shot,” Jensen said during the press conference. “They get an opportunity to be the one that’s the key stopper. They have leaned in beautifully. Kylie has a sense of confidence. Taylor is stealthy with that three.”
McCabe’s first season with Iowa saw the guard collect 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc in a game against Rutgers on Feb. 12, 2023. In her second season, McCabe upped the ante with 18 points from the arc against Florida Gulf Coast University on Nov. 25, 2023, and five threes against Big Ten rival Minnesota on Feb. 28, 2024, good for a 71 percent clip.
In all, McCabe shot a staggering 46 percent from distance during her sophomore campaign, helping Iowa advance to its second consecutive NCAA national championship game.
“I feel like I’m definitely more of a three-point threat, especially at this level,” McCabe said during a press conference after a 94-57 win over Toledo on Nov. 13, 2024. “I’m going to have to expand and start doing more things so that people have to guard me at all levels.”
McCabe’s performance in Iowa’s 2024-25 campaign has so far followed in the path of previous seasons, despite several lackluster games from the Hawkeyes as a whole in Big Ten play. In Iowa’s exhibition game, played against Missouri Western on Oct. 30, the guard racked up eight points, six of which came from the three-point line.
In a later game against Drake, where McCabe’s sister Peyton is a first-year student, the guard saw a nine-point performance, hitting at a perfect 3-for-3 from downtown. Iowa collectively shot at a 35 percent clip from behind the arc.
Matching McCabe’s sharpshooting is her dedication to a changing program. While the guard started in early contests, such as a Nov. 6 game against Northern Illinois where she collected 11 points, the return of fourth-year Sydney Affolter to play saw McCabe appear less in the starting lineup.
Even with the fluctuating lineups, McCabe has taken the changes with grace and humility, a trait her coach loves.
“I just feel like there’s always a little disappointment, and there should be because we all want to start,” Jensen said. “But that’s what I love about Taylor McCabe — one of the many things.”
The game against Toledo ended McCabe’s streak of being a starter, but the guard remained unfazed, putting up one of her best performances of the season so far. McCabe snagged 14 points in Iowa’s 37-point win, 12 of them from the arc.
As the Hawkeyes advance further into the Big Ten component of their campaign, the overall offensive presence has at times been stagnant. A 50-49 loss to Oregon on Jan. 19 is one example of an offense that failed to fully capitalize on its potential. Nevertheless, McCabe has been a consistent player, hitting 2-for-4 in the loss to the Ducks to add six points to her name.
Following the Oregon loss, the third-year ranked sixth in the Big Ten for three-point shooting accuracy, hitting at a 44 percent clip, making more attempts and buckets than any player in the top five.
“I had to change my mindset a little bit,” McCabe said after the Toledo game. “I just got to stay prepared for when I get those chances. I’m going to knock them down, and I know I can do that better than anyone else.”