Iowa State women’s basketball looks to crush the dreams of South Carolina and UConn in a March Madness run that could shock college basketball fans.
The Cyclones have a 19-5 record so far this season, and had one of the best starts to a season in school history, at 14-0 to begin the season.
People may think that it is bizarre to compare a team that is 19-5 and unranked to a premier program like UConn, South Carolina or UCLA.
With that being said, the Cyclones have shown that when fully healthy, they can compete with some of the top teams in the nation.
They have proven it this season with wins over accredited teams like No. 8 Iowa and No. 21-ranked Texas Tech.
It’s no secret that Iowa State has one of the best players in the country, junior center Audi Crooks. Crooks is leading the nation in scoring, averaging 25.9 points and also adding 7.7 rebounds per game for the Cyclones and is the centerpiece of their success.
Crooks has a great touch around the paint and controls the defensive glass for Iowa State. Points in the paint and defensive rebounding are huge metrics a team needs to hoist a banner.
Crooks has been very vocal about how successful she has been able to be because of the people around her.
“I’m incredibly grateful to be surrounded by such great people, to be pushed by great coaches every day,” Crooks said. “I couldn’t be there without them.”
Along with this, the inside scoring, passing and rebounding of junior forward Addy Brown has been a great compliment alongside Crooks this season.
When healthy, Brown has averaged 13.1 points, nine rebounds and six assists per contest. She has been extremely well-rounded and a great back-to-the-basket player alongside Crooks.
The easy solution to stopping the Cyclones would be to send two people to both Crooks and Brown. However, this can make things so much worse for an opponent, as the Cyclones have great shooters and slashers that can make a play off a closeout or lack thereof.
Iowa State’s front-court also has the great ability to pass out of double teams and out of the post, something not all front-courts have the luxury of having.
The Cyclones also have a shot-creating junior point guard Jada Williams. Williams has steadily gotten fit into her role this year, being in her first year with the team.
Williams has shown that she is capable of putting up big performances. In a win against Cincinnati, Williams dropped 44 points, a career high, and eight assists, showing her ability as a scorer and distributor for Iowa State.
Iowa State is also surrounded by great shooters, who make the opposing defense very frustrated as it becomes a pick-your-poison game with the Cyclones’ offense. Sharpshooters junior guard Arianna Jackson, senior forward Sydney Harris and redshirt junior guard Kenzie Hare are consistent from 3-point range.
The Cyclones will need to focus on the defensive side of the ball when it comes time for the madness to begin. The teams that execute getting stops and rebounding on the defensive side are teams that raise their chances significantly of winning games in conference postseason play and the big dance.
Along with the talent that is on the floor, Iowa State has a very successful coaching staff, led by Head Coach Bill Fennelly. Fennelly is in the middle of his 31st season as the head coach of the team.
Fennelly has seen what it takes to put together great seasons, as he has amassed over 800 wins in his career at Iowa State and has just recently been named the winningest head coach in the Big 12 for conference games.
A resilient coaching staff is crucial for winning the big-time games in the regular season and in the postseason. Another big question that some of the best teams can answer is how teams and coaches respond to adversity.
From Jan. 4 to Jan. 20, the Cyclones lost five straight games after starting 14-0. They dealt with many injuries and illnesses during this time to key impactful players.
The Cyclones were finally re-ignited with a win against Cincinnati and have been on a winning streak ever since.
“Athletics doesn’t build character, it reveals it,” Fennelly said. “You play 18 hard conference games, and no one is going to be like ‘Oh, poor Iowa State has kids hurt.’ That doesn’t happen in this league. I’m really proud of the way we’ve responded.”
This response to adversity is exactly what the Cyclones need to have in order to be resilient in the future when entering the Big 12 tournament to prepare them for March Madness.
The confidence for teams is also a must-have when March rolls around. We have seen crazy upsets when teams have gotten confident at the right time, usually around conference postseason play and the tournament. Williams definitely has confidence in herself and the team.
“We belong in the top 25, we are a tournament team, we are a Sweet 16 team and I think we all believe that,” Williams said.