Iowa star Hannah Stuelke tears up in the locker room after inevitable realization on Hawkeyes teammate Sydney Affolter: "I'm gonna miss her a lot"

Iowa senior Sydney Affolter played her last college basketball game as the No. 6-seeded Hawkeyes were blown out 96-62 by the No. 3-seeded Oklahoma Sooners on Monday. She registered nine rebounds and five assists in 31 minutes of action but was unable to stall the Sooners' offensive domination in the second half of the game.

After the game, Affolter's talented teammate, Hannah Stuelke, was visibly emotional during her postgame news conference due to the Hawkeyes captain leaving after the end of her eligibility.

"I'm gonna miss her a lot," Stuelke said. "She means everything. She's been a great leader. She stepped up every day, leading us every day, and I've learned a lot from her and that's gonna have to be me. So, she's been a great friend and a great teammate."

Sydney Affolter stepped into Iowa's leadership role

Sydney Affolter stepped into the role of captain at Iowa after the departure of team stalwarts, Caitlin Clark, Gabbie Marshall, Molly Davis and Kate Martin last year. The Hawkeyes also had to deal with the departure of legendary coach Lisa Bluder who was replaced by Jan Jensen.

After the loss to the Oklahoma Sooners, Affolter revealed during her postgame news conference how she wanted to be remembered at Iowa (0:15).

"It's a tough way to go out," Sydney Affolter said. "Just for the girls for being a great teammate. Obviously, remember some of the big games and the big moments but I think I'll cherish those friendships more than anything. So, that's what I'll take away from all of this."

Affolter was nicknamed 'Big Dawg' for her grit and defensive nous with the Hawkeyes, ensuring that the stars like Caitlin Clark and Hannah Stuelke shone offensively while she mopped up defensively ensuring that the team won the Big Ten twice during her career and reached two national championship games.

During her weekly news conference during the Big Dance, Iowa coach Jan Jensen heaped praise on Affolter's attitude.

“What was such a fun part of that story is when she got her shot, she was more than ready,” Jensen said. “I think that’s a good example for a lot of the freshmen. You just wish everybody had that drive.”

Sydney Affolter averaged 8.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists in her last season as a Hawkeye as she led a hugely rebuilt team in the post-Caitlin Clark era.