The Iowa Hawkeyes are having one of their best campaigns in the 2025-26 NCAA season, with eight straight wins. However, the No. 12 team has been a victim of injuries this season, and the blows just keep on coming. The Hawkeyes have recently issued another unfortunate update: this time, about Caitlin Clark’s former teammate and senior forward Jada Gyamfi.
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As per reports, Gyamfi will be sidelined for the remainder of the regular season after undergoing a knee procedure. However, the program is optimistic that she could rejoin the roster once postseason action rolls around.
How did Jada Gyamfi get injured?
As a 6-foot-1 senior player from Johnston, Gyamfi has been one of the most popular Hawkeye stars throughout her career. She’s been part of Iowa’s back-to-back national runner-up runs in 2023 and 2024 and is on track to graduate this spring with a degree in elementary education. However, what was supposed to be a great final season for her as a Hawkeye has unfortunately been cut short.
On Thursday, Iowa announced that Jada Gyamfi will be sidelined for roughly three months after undergoing a procedure on her knee at the University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center. While it’s not yet confirmed what led to the medical procedure, her absence comes at a time when the Hawkeyes are already suffering from depth issues.
“It’s not coach speak. They’re truly day-to-day when they’re going to be released,” HC Jan Jensen said. “And there’s different testing and protocols, and I haven’t got that yet. I still think we’re a little bit away with Teagan’s recovery. But I’m crossing my fingers about Chat and Emely. But it really is day-to-day.”
JUST IN: @IowaWBB announces that F Jada Gyamfi will miss approximately three months following a knee operation.
Iowa adds that Gyamfi could return for postseason play.
Jan Jensen: “Though this is an unfortunate setback for Jada, I know that while she rehabs, she’ll continue to…
— From the Hawkeye of the Storm (@FromTheHawkeye) December 4, 2025
As of now, multiple players, including sophomore guards Chit-Chat Wright (upper body), Emely Rodriguez (back), and Teagan Mallegni (tonsils), are listed as day-to-day as the Hawkeyes await medical updates on these players before clearing them to play. With Gyamfi also joining the bench, Jensen added:
“Though this is an unfortunate setback for Jada, I know that while she rehabs, she’ll continue to be a great Hawkeye teammate.”
So far, Gyamfi has only played 4 out of the eight matches that the Hawkeyes have won, with her last game being against the Western Illinois Leathernecks on November 26th, where she was on the court for just 3 minutes and made one foul.
Who Replaces Jada Gyamfi? What’s Next for the Iowa Hawkeyes?
The Hawkeyes will play their next game on December 6th against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. With a veteran player, who was averaging 0.8 points, 1.0 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game, out of the roster for at least three months, and three star guards day-to-day, all eyes will be on Coach Jensen to see how she manages her rotations.
With the frontcourt especially thin, Iowa may be forced to lean deeper into its bench and rely on role players who weren’t expected to take on bigger minutes this early in the season. Freshmen Addie Deal, Layla Hays, and Journey Houston, who are collectively averaging 17.3 points per game, are only seeing limited minutes on the court.
However, with Jensen looking for players to rely on, they can come in handy, especially Deal, who, in the Hawkeyes’ game against the Leathernecks, dropped her career-high 17 points.
Following the game with Rutgers, the Iowa Hawkeyes will play:
- The No. 10-ranked Iowa State Cyclones on December 10th.
- The Lindenwood Lions on December 13th.
- The No. 1-ranked UConn Huskies on December 19th.
But, for now, Iowa’s challenge is twofold: managing the on-court adjustments and preserving the chemistry that has defined this group through multiple deep NCAA Tournament runs as the season moves forward.
