STANFORD, Calif. – Iowa State girls’s basketball participant Audi Crooks was nonetheless preventing again tears after Sunday’s season-ending loss to Stanford within the second spherical of the NCAA Match when she sat down for a fast interview.
Crooks grabbed a spot behind Maples Pavilion and started to smile as she talked about the way forward for this system and the next season.
“We’ve quite a lot of potential and we now have much more work to do and this ain’t the final of us,” Crooks mentioned. “You’re going to see us once more.”
Crooks’ prediction didn’t appear daring after the season she and the Cyclones put collectively. Iowa State grew to become one of many largest shock tales of the ladies’s basketball season, compiling 21 victories, reaching the championship sport of the Huge 12 Match and advancing to the second spherical of the NCAA Match. Nevertheless it all ended with an 87-81 loss to Stanford in additional time Sunday night. That, although, could also be just the start.
“You’ll see us the following three years,” mentioned Iowa State freshman Jalynn Bristow.
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The Cyclones started the season with few expectations, having to lean on 5 freshmen and two transfers to hold them by what was alleged to be a rebuilding season. The hope was that Iowa State, with a while and expertise, would as soon as once more flip right into a Huge 12 contender and return to the NCAA Match.
However the Cyclones, time after time, shocked those that adopted the staff. They knocked off Baylor, swept Kansas State and completed the common season fourth within the Huge 12. The Cyclones beat Baylor once more within the quarterfinals of the Huge 12 Match and took down prime seed Oklahoma within the semifinals earlier than falling to Texas within the championship sport.
After they reached the NCAA Match, they continued to open individuals’s eyes. They overcame a 20-point deficit to Maryland within the first spherical of the NCAA Match and delivered one other large win. A bracket-busting upset practically unfolded Sunday because the 7-seed Cyclones frequently gave 2-seed Stanford troubles. Iowa State, which led briefly within the fourth quarter and in additional time, was on the verge of creating its second Candy 16 look within the final three seasons. Stanford hit its final six pictures and completed with a 7-0 run to narrowly escape.
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“They’ve a terrific staff,” mentioned Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer.
It’s solely going to get higher. Crooks, who poured in 40 factors throughout the win over Maryland, will return. So does Addy Brown, who completed with 15 factors and tallied the game-tying layup within the fourth quarter. The Cyclones additionally convey again Kelsey Joens, a key contributor off the bench, and Bristow who tallied seven large factors and grabbed eight rebounds off the bench. Guard Arianna Jackson, a helpful ball-handler and defender, additionally is predicted to be again.
Then there’s Iowa State level guard Emily Ryan. Ryan, who plans to benefit from the additional season of eligibility awarded by the NCAA because of the COVID-19 pandemic, scored a career-high 36 factors and grabbed 9 rebounds vs. Stanford. She took over Sunday’s sport with Crooks in foul hassle, taking pictures 12-of-21 from the sphere together with 6-of-9 from 3-point vary.
“Actually there’s quite a lot of issues very constructive to look ahead to and it begins with Emily Ryan,” mentioned Iowa State coach Invoice Fennelly. “I believe you noticed the distinction she makes on our staff. She’s the sort of child that this sport is about and realizing that she’s going to be again main our staff once more, she’s an amazing place to begin.”
Ryan grew to become a fan favourite when she determined to remain at Iowa State final offseason when 5 of her teammates transferred. The switch portal is a priority that can seemingly linger into this offseason. Fennelly admitted he didn’t know what his roster will appear to be in 2024-25. However the hope is that the Cyclones can hold the core of this staff collectively and do even greater issues down the highway.
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“We simply weren’t in a position to make fairly sufficient performs,” Ryan mentioned of Sunday’s loss. “So we’re going to take that into the offseason and use it as fireplace and bear in mind this sense and bottle it up so on days we don’t need to get up at 6 a.m., to go do conditioning, we will discover that further motivation to push laborious.”
After the sport, Fennelly had former Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy converse to the staff. Purdy, the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, skilled some latest heartbreak of his personal, dropping to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs within the Tremendous Bowl. Purdy tried to encourage the Cyclones after their emotional loss by assuring them that they’ve loads of assist.
“He simply instructed us, ‘You put on Iowa State, hold your heads up, we now have individuals round us, you’ll be able to see it,'” Bristow mentioned.
The assist could also be stronger than ever for the Cyclones after their just-completed season. Expectations will probably be excessive. Iowa State loses expertise and flexibility with Nyamer Diew. The Cyclones will miss the 3-point taking pictures of Hannah Belanger. And there’ll seemingly be different departures. However sufficient must be again to make the Cyclones one of many favorites within the Huge 12 subsequent season.
“The ceiling is limitless,” Crooks mentioned.
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Tommy Birch, the Register’s sports activities enterprise and options reporter, has been working on the newspaper since 2008. He is the 2018, 2020 and 2023 Iowa Sportswriter of the 12 months. Attain him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468.