Doyle out 4-6 weeks with broken hand for No. 13 Iowa
Iowa guard Kathleen Doyle broke her left hand during practice on Friday and is expected to be out 4-6 weeks.
The 13th-ranked Hawkeyes said Doyle, a preseason All-Big Ten selection, fractured the third and fourth metacarpals in her non-shooting hand. Doyle, a junior, averaged 11.1 points, 6.6 assists, and 3.7 rebounds in 30 games last season, and she led the Big Ten with 7.5 assists per game in conference action last season.
Doyle's absence coincides with the return of fellow point guard Tania Davis, a senior who has missed parts of the last two seasons with knee injuries. The Hawkeyes had hoped to ease Davis back into action, but that might not be as much of an option with Doyle on the bench.
Iowa (24-8 in 2017-18) opens the season on Nov. 9 against Oral Roberts. The Hawkeyes travel to top-ranked Notre Dame on Nov. 29, and it's unclear if Doyle will be ready by then. Her loss is a blow for a team that had hopes of a conference championship.
"Kathleen is really playing well. She is shooting the three with confidence right now," Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said on Wednesday during the team's annual media day. "She just looks comfortable with her game. She's not trying to prove anything to anybody. She's got great leadership on the floor. She's running the show really well for us. And I am very excited about her game this year."
Iowa will be led by senior Megan Gustafson, who led the nation in scoring a year ago and was the unanimous choice as the Big Ten's preseason player of the year.
