KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Iowa State women’s basketball players Jada Williams, Audi Crooks and Addy Brown were sitting at a table on the court at the T-Mobile Center answering questions during Big 12 Conference media day on Oct. 21 when the topic turned to expectations.
The three, who are a part of a stacked Cyclones squad with huge hopes for the season, were asked what they hoped to accomplish in 2025-26. Crooks looked at the Big 12 Tournament trophy on display over on another part of the floor.
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“Get that trophy right over there,” Crooks said with a smile.
Crooks and her teammates are hoping to accomplish a ton this season. Expectations are once again high for the Cyclones, who unofficially open the season on Oct. 28 with an exhibition game against UW-Oshkosh at Hilton Coliseum. The first official game of the season is Nov. 3 at home against St. Thomas.
The Cyclones are planning to accomplish some big things.
“I’m just really excited for our fans to get to see them play because they’re really good and have a chance to be a very, very good team,” said Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly.
He isn’t the only one who believes that. Iowa State begins the season ranked No. 14 in the Associated Press poll. The Cyclones were also picked to finish second in the Big 12 this season. Those expectations come because Iowa State’s roster returns plenty of players who have already accomplished a ton.
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Crooks and Brown, both juniors, have already guided the team to back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament. The two also took the Cyclones to the Big 12 Tournament title game and were one win away from reaching the Sweet 16 as freshmen.
More: Iowa State women’s basketball’s Addy Brown no longer being overlooked in the Big 12
They have plenty of help as well. Iowa State’s starting lineup of Brown, Crooks, Arianna Jackson, Kenzie Hare and Jada Williams is full of Big 12 experience. Brown, Crooks and Jackson started when they were freshmen. Hare started last season before undergoing season-ending surgery. Williams, a transfer portal pickup, started at Arizona last season.
Fennelly said he likes the overall makeup of his team.
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“Their basketball IQs are very high,” Fennelly said. “They understand what they need to do individually. Collectively, one of the things that we talk about is, ‘What do you do well and what do your teammates do well?’ and if you can combine those things, possession to possession, that translates into successful teams.”
Excitement isn’t anything new for the Cyclones. Iowa State entered last season as a top 10 team in both the AP and USA Today Coaches polls and was picked to finish second in the league. But some early-season struggles dropped the Cyclones out of the rankings and out of conference title contention. Iowa State was bounced from the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament.
There was still some good. The Cyclones won 23 games and went back to the NCAA Tournament as an at-large team. But Crooks believes this year could be different because of the experience the Cyclones have and the additions they made in the offseason. Williams is more of an attacker and scorer at the point guard spot. Transfer Evangelia Paulk gives the team length and shooting at the guard spot.
More: Guard Kenzie Hare ready to contribute after injury-plagued start to Iowa State career
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“It’s just going to be really hard for teams to guard us because we’re strong, I feel like at the one through five position,” Crooks said. “Teams can’t afford to double-team as often as they used to because now we have shooters. We have people that can penetrate the lane. So, I just think we’re going to give a lot of people a difficult time.”
That’s why the Cyclones are so excited for this season and are embracing the lofty goals others are placing on them.
“My main thing is getting a ring, Big 12 Conference this year,” Brown said. “We’ve come up short so many times, twice now, and I feel like we really have the talent to do it this year.”
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 tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State women’s basketball aiming for Big 12 title in 2025-26
