Syracuse women’s basketball: what to watch and predictions vs Iowa State The 9th-seeded Syracuse Orange will take on the 8th-seeded Iowa State Cyclones in a college basketball matchup tomorrow night in Storrs, Connecticut. The game is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN2, with Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo, and Holly Rowe serving as the broadcast team. Key factors to monitor during the contest include Iowa State’s ability to stretch the floor from beyond the arc. The Cyclones are shooting 36.5% from three-point range, with four players hitting over 35% of their attempts. This presents a challenge for Syracuse, as the Orange must avoid overcommitting to defend Audi Crooks, who is a primary threat. The strategy for Syracuse may involve limiting direct matchups between Crooks and Uche Izoje, allowing the Cyclones’ shooters to operate with fewer defenders. Whether the Orange can execute this plan effectively will be critical. Another focal point is Syracuse’s offensive output. The team relies heavily on its ability to force turnovers, block shots, and secure rebounds to create second-chance opportunities. However, Iowa State’s efficient three-point shooting and strong ball movement make them a difficult matchup. For Syracuse to succeed, they will need to generate extra possessions while also converting them into points. Uche Izoje’s performance against Crooks will be pivotal, but other players such as Phelia and Burrows will also need to contribute, especially with Dominique Darius sidelined. Predictions for the game vary between analysts. One projection suggests Iowa State will prevail 77-71, citing the Cyclones’ superior scoring efficiency and firepower.#audi_crooks #iowa_state_cyclones #syracuse_womens_basketball #storrs_connecticut #uche_izoje
Audi Crooks and the eighth-seeded Iowa State women’s basketball team kick off their March Madness campaign with a first-round matchup against ninth-seeded Syracuse on March 21. The Cyclones, who finished seventh in the Big 12 conference, enter the tournament with a 22-9 record. Crooks, a standout scorer for Iowa State, has been a dominant force throughout her career, setting multiple school records and leading the team in scoring. Crooks has averaged 22.6 points per game while shooting 60.1% from the field over her three seasons with the Cyclones. Her performance has been instrumental in shaping Iowa State’s program, as she holds the school’s records for single-game points, single-season points, and field goals. In November 2025, she shattered her own single-game scoring record with 47 points against Indiana, including 19 field goals—both marks set a new standard for the program. Her 329 made field goals in the 2024-25 season remain the best single-season total in school history. Crooks’ achievements extend beyond her collegiate career. She broke her mother’s high school field goal percentage record while playing at Bishop Garrigan in Algona, Iowa. Her mother, a former player at the same school, had previously held the record, making Crooks the first to surpass it. Crooks was named first-team All-State as a freshman, joining her high school teammate Molly Joyce, who also earned the honor. The duo is believed to be the first freshman pair in Iowa history to achieve first-team All-State recognition in the same season. Crooks continued her dominance through high school, earning All-State honors every year and being named Iowa Miss Basketball her senior year. Her success at the collegiate level has also earned her national recognition.#iowa_state #march_madness #audi_crooks #syracuse #mortgage_matchup_center
Audi Crooks plays for Iowa State — and for all those who’ve been told their body is too big Audi Crooks, a standout player for Iowa State, has carved out a remarkable collegiate career despite facing persistent scrutiny over her body size. In the past week alone, she has been named second-team All-American by The Associated Press and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, and she’s a semifinalist for the Naismith Trophy Women’s College Player of the Year. These accolades are well-earned, as Crooks, the second-leading scorer in college women’s basketball, has dominated the court this season. She averages 25.5 points per game, shooting nearly 65% from the floor, while grabbing 7.8 rebounds and scoring double figures in 97 consecutive games. She also became the fastest in Big 12 women’s basketball history to score 2,000 points, solidifying her status as a generational talent. Now, she leads her 8th-seeded Cyclones into the NCAA women’s basketball tournament. Yet, despite her extraordinary performance, Crooks has become a focal point for cultural debates about body size in sports. Critics often fixate on her physical appearance, despite the fact that basketball is a sport where size is an advantage. Crooks, who stands 6-foot-3, has faced accusations of being “out of shape” and of not taking her “conditioning” seriously, even as her on-court success speaks volumes. A particularly contentious Reddit thread criticized her for allegedly contributing to Iowa State’s early exit from the Big 12 Tournament. Such body-shaming is not unique to Crooks; it is a recurring issue for athletes who defy narrow stereotypes about how an athlete’s body should look. Serena Williams, for example, spent much of her tennis career being called “fat” and “unfit” after surgery and a drop in her rankings.#iowa_state #associated_press #audi_crooks #us_basketball_writers_association #naismith_trophy
Syracuse Women's Basketball Set for NCAA Tournament Opener Against Iowa State The ninth-seeded Syracuse Orange will face the eighth-seeded Iowa State Cyclones in their NCAA Tournament opener this weekend. The game, scheduled for Saturday, March 21, will take place in Storrs, Connecticut, with a tip-off time of 5:30 pm EST. The matchup will be broadcast on ESPN2, with live audio available through cuse.com. Syracuse enters the tournament with a 23-8 record, including a 12-6 performance in the ACC. Iowa State, meanwhile, carries a 22-9 overall record and a 10-8 mark in the Big 12. The two teams have a history of neutral-site meetings, with Syracuse holding a 2-0 all-time advantage. The Orange defeated Iowa State by 20 points in Storrs during the 2016-17 season and repeated the victory by 12 points in the 2023-24 season. The game’s key matchup will center around the post play between Syracuse’s Uche Izoje and Iowa State’s Audi Crooks. Izoje, a defensive anchor for the Orange, will aim to limit Crooks’ impact in the paint while using her mid-range shooting to disrupt the Cyclones’ offense. Crooks, a prolific scorer, will look to assert dominance against Syracuse’s freshman standout, Izoje, in a battle of top-tier centers. Syracule is currently listed as a 7.5-point underdog against Iowa State, with the game’s over-under total set at 149.5 points. A Syracuse victory would mark one of the most significant upsets in women’s college basketball history, while a loss would still grant both teams a spot in the tournament. The stakes are high for the Orange, who are seeking to make a deep run in the postseason after a strong regular season.#audi_crooks #iowa_state_cyclones #syracuse_womens_basketball #storrs_connecticut #uche_izoje
Iowa State women’s basketball aims to rebound from a disappointing regular season with a March Madness run STORRS, Conn. — The Iowa State women’s basketball team entered the 2025-26 season with high expectations, hoping to contend for a Big 12 Conference title after retaining most of its roster. However, the Cyclones fell short of that goal, finishing with a 10-8 record in conference play. Despite the setback, the team is now focused on making a postseason push in the NCAA Tournament. As an 8-seed, Iowa State will attempt to make a deep run in March Madness, starting with a first-round matchup against 9-seed Syracuse at the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Conn., on March 21. The game is set for 4:30 p.m. CT. Forward Addy Brown emphasized the importance of starting fresh, stating, “We’re 0-0 coming in. We’re going to come into it with a fresh mindset.” The tournament represents a new opportunity for the Cyclones, who faced significant challenges during the regular season. Injuries to key players like Brown and guard Arianna Jackson disrupted their season, leading to a five-game losing streak and a drop out of the national rankings. Even when the team returned to full strength, it struggled, falling in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament. Despite these struggles, Iowa State secured 22 wins, including victories over ranked opponents Iowa and Texas Tech. The team’s performance in the Big 12 was inconsistent, with a 10-8 record that fell short of expectations. However, the NCAA Tournament offers a chance to rewrite their narrative. The core group of Brown, Jackson, and star player Audi Crooks, who helped the team earn a first-round win two years ago, remains a key asset. Last season, Iowa State won a game in the First Four before losing in the Round of 64.#audi_crooks #arianna_jackson #iowa_state_womens_basketball #addy_brown #bill_fennelly
Audi Crooks Highlights 3 Iowa State Cyclones Players Earning Big 12 Honors The Iowa State Cyclones women’s basketball team concluded the 2025-26 regular season with a 22-8 record, marking the fifth consecutive year the program has secured at least 21 victories. The team’s .733 winning percentage ranks as the 11th highest in program history, setting the stage for a strong postseason run after a decisive 93-79 victory over the Kansas State Wildcats. Audi Crooks, a standout performer for the Cyclones, made history during the win by scoring 41 points, elevating her to fifth in Big 12 conference history with five career 40-point games. This achievement ties her with Brittney Griner, the former Baylor Bears star, for the most such performances in conference history. Crooks’ dominance on the court was further highlighted by her selection to the All-Big 12 First Team, where she led the conference in scoring with 25.6 points per game. She also ranked among the top performers in field goal percentage (65.1%), 2-point field goal percentage (66.4%), and effective field goal percentage (65.2%). Her all-around impact extended to 7.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game. Joining Crooks on the All-Big 12 First Team was guard Jada Williams, who led the conference with 7.7 assists per game in her first season with Iowa State after transferring from the Arizona Wildcats. Williams contributed 15.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game, alongside 0.9 steals in 29.5 minutes of play. The Cyclones’ success in securing multiple first-team selections placed them among three programs with multiple players on the 10-player list, alongside TCU and the Kansas Jayhawks. Beyond individual accolades, the Cyclones also recognized junior guard Arianna Jackson as the Scholar-Athlete of the Year.#big_12 #audi_crooks #iowa_state_cyclones #jada_williams #arrianna_jackson
Audi Crooks Highlights 3 Iowa State Cyclones Players Earning Big 12 Honors The Iowa State Cyclones women’s basketball team concluded the 2025-26 regular season with a 22-8 record, marking their fifth consecutive campaign with at least 21 wins. The .733 winning percentage ranks as the 11th highest in program history, setting the stage for postseason play after a decisive 93-79 victory over the Kansas State Wildcats. Audi Crooks made history during that game by scoring 41 points, elevating her career total of 40+ point games to five. This achievement ties her with Brittney Griner, formerly of Baylor, for the most in Big 12 conference history. Crooks’ dominance on the offensive end was instrumental in the Cyclones’ success, as she led the conference in scoring with 25.6 points per game, while also excelling in field goal percentage (65.1%), 2-point field goal percentage (66.4%), and effective field goal percentage (65.2%). Her all-around performance included 7.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game. Crooks’ accolades extended beyond her individual stats. She was named to the All-Big 12 First Team, joining a select group of 10 players recognized for their season-long contributions. Alongside her, guard Jada Williams also earned a spot on the first team. Williams, who transferred from the Arizona Wildcats, led the Big 12 with 7.7 assists per game in her first season with Iowa State. She averaged 15.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game, complemented by 0.9 steals in 29.5 minutes of play. The Cyclones’ success was further highlighted by their representation on the All-Big 12 Team, as they became one of three programs with multiple players named to the 10-team group, alongside TCU and Kansas.#big_12 #audi_crooks #iowa_state_cyclones #jada_williams #arianna_jackson
