The plan is for the 2026-2027 Iowa State women’s basketball team to report to campus on June 16 to prepare for the upcoming season.
Except for one player.
Coach Bill Fennelly said during a phone interview with The Des Moines Register on June 2 that incoming freshman Tjasa Turnsek will be a late arrival to campus as the native of Rogaska Slatina, Slovenia, plays for her national team.
“They’re kind of in that mix of they might qualify for one level, they might not,” Fennelly said. “But with our international guys, we’ve always said, ‘Your focus has got to be on that.’”
Turnsek averaged 18 points and 7 rebounds while competing for the youth national team in the 2025 FIBA U18 Women’s EuroBasket. Fennelly said the young forward may not get to campus until the start of the school year.
A 6-foot-2 forward, she also averaged 11.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2 assists per game while playing in the U20 event last year.
Turnsek helped Slovenia to the Women’s Adriatic Basketball Association U17 League Championship while earning MVP honors in 2023 and 2024.
Fennelly has often encouraged his players to compete on the international stage and worked around their schedules to make it happen.
The Cyclones did similar things with Canadian Bridget Carleton, who went on to play in the Olympics.
It’ll be a big summer for Fennelly’s Cyclones, who have to replace the bulk of their roster from last season. Iowa State has added nine new players to the roster.
“It always strength and conditioning, skillset and development and team bonding and those three things are going to be consistently important to our program but this year probably, as much if not more than ever,” Fennelly said.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State women’s basketball freshman Tjasa Turnsek to arrive late
Reporting by Tommy Birch, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
