Kylie Feuerbach remains day-to-day as Iowa monitors ankle injury originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Iowa women’s basketball is taking a careful, patient approach with guard Kylie Feuerbach as she works her way back from an ankle injury suffered earlier this month, an absence that underscores just how important the veteran has become to the Hawkeyes.
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Feuerbach missed Iowa’s Big Ten home opener against Penn State on Dec. 28 after injuring her ankle during the Hawkeyes’ matchup with UConn on Dec. 20. The injury occurred just two minutes into that game, when Feuerbach slipped on the center-court logo and suffered what head coach Jan Jensen described as a “unique jammed ankle.”
Following Iowa’s 99-76 win over Penn State, Jensen said Feuerbach’s status remains uncertain as the team prepares to continue conference play.
“We’re taking it day by day,” Jensen said. “She’s going to see someone on Monday, and we’ll have a better idea from there. I don’t know what her status will be for Nebraska or beyond.”
Feuerbach attempted to play through the injury against UConn but was clearly limited and logged only brief minutes the rest of the way. Ahead of the Penn State contest, she was listed as questionable and appeared during warmups in team gear, often a sign a player could be available. However, her limited movement during pregame activities made it apparent she wouldn’t be able to suit up.
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In her absence, Taylor Stremlow stepped into the starting lineup and provided a strong showing, finishing with 14 points, four assists and three rebounds in 25 minutes. Iowa never trailed and cruised past an overmatched Penn State squad, but the Hawkeyes know tougher tests lie ahead.
While Feuerbach’s stat line may not always jump off the page, her value to Iowa goes far beyond scoring. Through 12 games this season, she has averaged 22.3 minutes while contributing 5.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game, shooting efficiently from both the field and the free-throw line. More importantly, she is widely regarded as Iowa’s best perimeter defender and emotional tone-setter.
“That kid doesn’t get outworked,” Jensen said. “She leads every day in practice, and it was killing her not to be out there.”
A veteran presence and vocal leader, Feuerbach has embraced whatever role the team needs whether that’s guarding the opponent’s top scorer, hitting timely three-pointers or steadying a young lineup. Her return for an extra season following a torn ACL in 2022 added much-needed experience to an evolving roster, and she has become a key mentor for Iowa’s younger players.
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Jensen has repeatedly praised Feuerbach’s character, work ethic and basketball IQ, calling her one of the Big Ten’s top defenders and a cornerstone of the program’s culture. Her resilience and familiarity with navigating injuries have also helped set the standard for how the team handles adversity.
Iowa will host Nebraska on Dec. 31, and while the Hawkeyes are hopeful Feuerbach’s absence will be short-lived, the program appears committed to prioritizing her long-term health. As conference play intensifies, having their veteran leader back on the floor could prove just as important as any stat she records.
