AMES - Throughout the Iowa State women's basketball team's up-and-down season, Cyclones star Audi Crooks saw glimpses of how good the Cyclones could be.
Iowa State, which had struggled to shoot it and continually had issues finding another scorer outside of its biggest stars, had it all come together during a Feb. 15 road game at Kansas.
During the 93-80 victory over the Jayhawks, the Cyclones unleashed 18 made 3-pointers and had five different players score in double figures. The victory was the third straight in a four-game winning streak for the Cyclones. But more important, it was a turning point in the season.
"Ever since then we've kind of turned it up a little bit and brought a new intensity," Crooks said.
Iowa State will try to carry the momentum of its recent run of success when it plays in the Big 12 Conference Tournament in Kansas City, Mo., this week. The seven-seed Cyclones will take on the winner of the Cincinnati vs. Arizona State game on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at the T-Mobile Center.
"Everything just seems to be coming together at the right time," Crooks said.
The Cyclones have endured a wild ride of a season. Iowa State began the 2024-25 campaign ranked in the top 10 in the Associated Press and USA TODAY Sports Network Coaches Poll. The Cyclones were also picked to finish second in the Big 12 prior to the season.
But things haven't gone as expected for Iowa State, which tumbled out of the rankings and lost two of its first three Big 12 games. Still, there have been some successful moments. Despite the inconsistent play, Iowa State was able to produce 21 wins and finish 12-6 in league play.
Even though the regular season didn't pan out quite like the Cyclones hoped it would, they may have found their rhythm at the right time. Iowa State closed out the regular season winning six of its last seven games. The Cyclones won their final two including a huge win over No. 16 Kansas State.
The victory over the Wildcats was the first Quad 1 victory for Iowa State and first win over a ranked team.
"That's definitely a statement -- a huge win," Crooks said. "I think we definitely put the Big 12 on notice with that one."
So, what's changed for the Cyclones? They're not just knocking down shots and getting more contributions outside of Crooks, Emily Ryan and Addy Brown. They've also settled on a rotation, with Kelsey Joens joining those three along with Arianna Jackson in Iowa State's starting lineup. Fennelly says that's been a huge help.
"You'd have a hard time telling me that (Joens) is not one of the top couple of reasons why this team has kind of found its groove a little bit," said Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly.
Here are three things to watch during the Big 12 Tournament:
The Cyclones likely locked up an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament with the upset over Kansas State. But nothing is a sure thing, especially this time of year. Even if Iowa State does get in the tournament, the Cyclones are trying to avoid a spot in one of the "First Four" games. How long Iowa State stays in Kansas City could impact that. While it may seem unlikely, Iowa State's NCAA Tournament bid could even be on the line depending how things shake out. But the win over Kansas State did give the Cyclones some breathing room.
"I don't think there's any question that people that follow that stuff had a different opinion, right or wrong, at 5 o'clock on Sunday than they did leading up to it," Fennelly said.
TCU, which won the regular-season championship, is the favorite. But there will be plenty of teams in the hunt for the tournament title, including Iowa State. Baylor, which finished just one game out of first place, should be in the mix. So could Oklahoma State, one of the few teams that topped the Horned Frogs this season. So did Kansas State which beat Iowa State in overtime once this season before falling to the Cyclones on the final day of the regular season. So, anything is possible.
"I don't know that I would say I'd be surprised by four or five different teams could go down there and win," Fennelly said.
The Cyclones will face either Cincinnati or Arizona State in the second round. After that, things get monumentally more difficult for Iowa State. A win in the second round would put the Cyclones in the quarterfinals where they'd face Baylor which dominated Iowa State in their only meeting of the season. Iowa State suffered a brutal 67-52 loss in Waco, Texas on Feb. 22. It was the Cyclones' last loss and only setback in their last seven games.
Tommy Birch, the Register's sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He's the 2018, 2020 and 2023 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at [email protected] or 515-284-8468