Winning feels inevitable until it suddenly isn't. Just ask Bill Fennelly. The man has been roaming the sidelines in Ames for 31 seasons, yet I bet even he didn't see this January slide coming after such a historic start. Honestly, it’s been a weird month for Iowa State women's basketball.
One minute you’re 14-0, ranked in the top ten, and looking like a lock for a deep March run. The next? You’ve dropped four straight. It started with a heartbreaker against Baylor—72-70—and then the wheels kinda wobbled. Losses to Cincinnati, West Virginia, and Colorado followed. But if you’re writing off the Cyclones now, you haven't been paying attention to how this program actually works.
The Audi Crooks Factor
Look, let’s talk about Audi Crooks. If you aren't watching her, you’re missing the most consistent force in college hoops. Seriously. The junior center from Algona just extended her double-figure scoring streak to 84 games. That is the longest active streak in the entire country.
Think about that for a second. Every single night, for over two seasons, she shows up.
Against Colorado on January 14, she went for 17 points and 15 rebounds. She’s basically a walking double-double. But the problem lately hasn't been Audi; it’s been the vacuum around her. When Addy Brown went down with a lower-body injury, the team’s dynamic shifted overnight.
Brown isn't just a "good player." She’s the glue. Before her injury, she was averaging 13.1 points and 9.0 rebounds while basically acting as a secondary point guard. Losing her meant losing 5.8 assists per game. You can’t just "replace" that kind of vision.
What the Standings Don't Tell You
If you glance at the Big 12 standings right now, seeing Iowa State at 14-4 and 2-4 in the conference looks... well, it looks bad. They're sitting in the bottom half of the league.
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But here is what people get wrong: the Big 12 is a meat grinder this year.
- Texas Tech is a ridiculous 19-0.
- TCU and Arizona State are playing like top-15 locks.
- West Virginia is forcing turnovers at a rate that should be illegal.
The Cyclones are currently second in the nation in assists per game (21.9). They move the ball better than almost anyone. Jada Williams, the Arizona transfer who stepped in after Emily Ryan graduated, has been a revelation at point guard. She’s dishing out 7.7 assists a night. That’s nearly five more than she averaged last year. She’s found her rhythm in Fennelly’s system, but the team is currently coughing up too many turnovers—17 against Colorado—which is killing their efficiency.
Hilton Magic vs. Road Woes
There’s something about Hilton Coliseum. It’s loud. It’s intimidating. It’s why they beat No. 11 Iowa there back in December.
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But the road? That's been a different story lately. The 68-62 loss at Colorado was a prime example of a game that slipped through their fingers in the fourth quarter. They were tied at 50. Then, a couple of missed free throws and some transition buckets for the Buffs, and it's over.
It's easy to blame the youth. Aside from Sydney Harris, who is a senior, the core of this team is juniors and sophomores. Addy Brown, Audi Crooks, and Jada Williams are all juniors. They’ve got the talent, but without Brown on the floor, the spacing gets cramped. Teams can double-team Audi without fearing the kick-out pass to a high-percentage shooter as much.
The Road Ahead: Can They Flip the Script?
They’ve got Oklahoma State coming up on January 18. Then Cincinnati and Arizona come to Ames.
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This is the stretch that defines the season. If they can get Addy Brown back—even at 80%—the offense recalibrates. They need more from the supporting cast. Sydney Harris showed flashes against Colorado with 16 points and four triples. They need that every night.
Aili Tanke and Reagan Wilson are young, but they've got to hit those open looks when the defense collapses on the paint. Honestly, the Big 12 tournament is going to be a bloodbath, and Iowa State needs to stop the bleeding now to secure a decent seed.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you’re tracking Iowa State women's basketball for the rest of the 2025-26 season, keep your eyes on these three specific metrics:
- The Assist-to-Turnover Ratio: When this team stays above 1.8, they almost never lose. When they drop below 1.2, they struggle to keep pace with high-pressure defenses like West Virginia.
- Free Throw Efficiency: They’re currently shooting 75.8% as a team. In close games against Baylor and Colorado, those missed front-ends of one-and-ones were the difference.
- The Return of Addy Brown: Watch the injury reports. The Cyclones are 14-0 with her and 0-4 without her in recent high-stakes play. Her presence on the floor changes the defensive gravity for everyone else.
The season isn't over. Not even close. Bill Fennelly has been here before. He knows that January is for learning and March is for executing. If they can tighten up the perimeter defense and get healthy, that 14-0 start won't just be a fluke memory—it'll be the foundation for a deep tournament run.
For now, stop looking at the 2-4 conference record and start looking at the 84-game streak of the best post player in the league. That’s where the comeback starts.