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
