Penn State vs. Iowa women's basketball injury report and predictions, March 7: Latest on Molly Davis, Tay Valladay and more

The Penn State Lady Lions (19-11, 9-9 Big Ten) take on the Iowa Hawkeyes (26-4, 15-3 Big Ten) in the quarterfinal of the Big Ten Tournament. This matchup tips off at 6:30 p.m. EST from the Target Center in Minneapolis, MN, broadcast on the Big Ten Network.

The Lady Lions defeated the Wisconsin Badgers 80-56 in their opening game of the Big Ten Tournament. The Iowa Hawkeyes have been off since closing out their regular season schedule on March 3, when they beat No. 2 Ohio State 93-83. They were awarded the second seed in the Big Ten Tournament, therefore automatically earning a spot in the quarterfinal.

Both teams will be dealing with injuries late in the season and will have some of those injuries carry into this conference tournament matchup. Here is the latest on the injuries in this game.

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Penn State vs. Iowa injury report

Tay Valladay, Penn State

Senior guard Tay Valladay is out for the season after suffering an ACL and meniscus tear against Minnesota on Jan. 31. Valladay was a fifth-year senior and transfer from Virginia, and this injury will mark an unfortunate end to her college basketball career.

Valladay played in 21 games this season, earning 15 starts, and averaged 11.5 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. The Lady Lions lost six consecutive games immediately after Valladay's injury but have since bounced back to win their last three matchups.

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Molly Davis, Iowa

Iowa senior guard Molly Davis will likely miss this matchup against Penn State after injuring her right knee in Iowa's regular season finale on Sunday. Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder gave an insight into the longevity of Davis' injury on Monday, saying:

"While we feel for Molly that she got injured during Senior Day, we are so thankful that the injury she sustained is not season-ending. Our program has appreciated everyone's support and prayers as we look forward to her return at some point during the postseason."

Davis played in all 30 games for the Hawkeyes this season, starting in 27 of those games. She is averaging 6.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists this season. The good news for Iowa is that Davis' injury is not season-ending; however, her impact on the court would be missed in this game as she continues to undergo physical therapy this week.

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Penn State vs. Iowa prediction

All eyes for this contest will undoubtedly be on the biggest star in women's college basketball, Caitlin Clark. This is Iowa's first matchup in the Big Ten Tournament, and they have high hopes of making a deep run.

These two teams last met on February 8, which ended in a 111-93 victory for the Hawkeyes at home. In that prior matchup, Iowa's Hannah Stuelke shined with 47 points and nine rebounds. Clark didn't finish too far behind her, adding 27 points and 15 assists.

Penn State will likely look to their leading scorer, Ashley Owusu, again after she finished with a team-high 18 points in their previous matchup with Iowa. Owusu is averaging 17.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists for the Lady Lions this season.

This game will be played at a neutral location but will likely be packed with fans wanting to see another magical performance from Caitlin Clark in the Big Ten Tournament. Iowa should be able to handle Penn State in this matchup without much issue and advance to the next round of the conference tournament.

Prediction: PSU 83, Iowa 95