Sports

Ohio State Women’s Basketball Players Earn High Praise With Utmost Respect For Injured Opponent

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Ohio State Taylor McCabe Injury Women's Basketball Respect Gesture Class
© Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Taylor McCabe suffered a severe knee injury during the women’s college basketball game between Iowa and Ohio State that will end her season. The Buckeyes showed the utmost class toward their opponent, who was unable to walk off of the court under her own power.

They immediately recognized the severity of the injury and called for a stoppage.

Hawkeyes fans will be rooting for their Big Ten counterparts for the remainder of the college basketball season. There is now a mutual respect between these two programs that stems from a simple gesture.

Taylor McCabe is out for the year.

McCabe averaged 8.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 27.1 minutes per game during the first 20 games of her true senior senior. She played a crucial role for an eighth-ranked Iowa team that has only two losses to No. 10 Iowa State and No. 1 UConn.

The Hawkeyes have legitimate national title hopes. They, at the very least, expect to make a run deep into March Madness.

Although the injury to Taylor McCabe does not change those expectations, it is a big hit to coherence and moral. She is the team’s best sharpshooter (37.4% from three) and one of the most vocal leaders. Her teammates showed her a lot of love upon her return to the bench in street clothes on Monday.

McCabe will miss the rest of her senior season with a torn ACL.

“This isn’t how I imagined my senior season ending, but adversity has always been part of the game,” McCabe said in a statement. “I’m committed to my recovery and to supporting my teammates in every way I can the rest of this season. I’m grateful for the love and encouragement from my coaches, teammates, and everyone who has been with me throughout this journey at the University of Iowa.”

It is possible that she could get another year of eligibility from a medical redshirt but this was probably it. The injury likely put an end to her college career and maybe even her professional career. We’ll see.

Ohio State showed the utmost respect toward Iowa.

Even if McCabe’s torn ACL does not change the overall outlook for Iowa, it is still a big loss. She is a crucial piece to the lineup as one of the top three-point shooters in the country and a senior leader.

The Buckeyes knew right away her injury was not good.

Officials did not blow the play dead as soon as Taylor McCabe landed awkwardly. Ohio State players stopped in their tracks anyway. They immediately ran over to help her and called for a stoppage.

The Buckeyes could’ve walked away from McCabe. They instead chose to stand by her side until the medical team was able to get to her. That’s real. That’s respect.

Hawkeyes fans are grateful for the gesture. Even though it was small, it was a testament to who they are as people and to their character. Iowa will be rooting for Ohio State in every game that is not head-to-head from this point forward. Kindness goes a long way.