5-0 Start
Not exactly an unexpected start for the Twister Sisters as they started the year with St. Thomas, Southern, Sacred Heart, Valparaiso, and Norfolk State, but it’s how the Cyclones have gone about this start that has everyone excited. There was maybe some question as to how this team and this offense would account for the loss of Emily Ryan who is now on the coaching staff, and to say Jada Williams has stepped into that role perfectly would be an understatement. After averaging just 2.4 and 2.9 assists per game in her two years at Arizona, Williams has come out firing as a Cyclones dishing out seven assists per game and the offense is humming to the tune of nearly 93 points per game, and three straight games above 95. The last time this team even had three of four above 90 was 2021-202 against Drake, Southern, and Penn State. Beyond the offense that has not missed a beat, the defense has played much closer to what you would hope and expect, especially with the defensive additions from the transfer portal. Just a year ago, this Cyclone team allowed 52 or fewer points in just three of their non-conference games… they’ve done so in four of their first five to start 2025. It’s been a tremendous start for the Cyclones and now they’ll take to the road for the first time as the Drake Bulldogs will play host on Thursday night.
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History Made
While I’m sure neither Audi Crooks nor Addy Brown are terribly concerned with their own individual accomplishments compared to the team’s, they’ve had themselves quite the week of basketball.
First up, Audi Crooks had about as spectacular of a performance as you could ask for as she set the Cyclone record for points in a game with 43 against Valparaiso in the 97-50 win. Not only that, she did so in just 20 minutes of playing time. An incredible performance from one of the best in the country. Then she came back exactly one game later and went 8-8 from the floor and scored 19 points with 10 rebounds in the 98-52 win over Norfolk State.
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Not to be outdone, Addy Brown had her fair share of success this week.
First, against Valparaiso, Addy Brown became the 36th Cyclone Women’s Basketball player to eclipse the 1,000 point mark. Then, she came back against Norfolk State and did something no Cyclone had done since 2014.
If there was such a thing as a “Dream Start” for the Cyclones, I’d say this would be about as close as you could get. The Cyclones have not faced a terribly strong opponent yet, but they have taken care of business, both individually, and as a team.
Iowa State @ Drake on Thursday night.
