AMES — Iowa State women’s basketball will have one of its stars back on the court when the Cyclones return to the floor on Dec. 21.
Cyclones coach Bill Fennelly said Friday that junior Audi Crooks will play when the 10th-ranked Cyclones open Big 12 Conference play at noon on Sunday vs. Kansas at Hilton Coliseum.
“Audi practiced yesterday (Thursday), so she’s back,” Fennelly said.
Crooks, a 6-foot-3 center, missed Iowa State’s last game, a Dec. 14 showdown with in-state rival Northern Iowa, due to a head injury. Fennelly said Crooks was injured during the team’s game four days earlier against 12th-ranked Iowa.
The Cyclones survived without Crooks playing against the Panthers as teammate Addy Brown poured in 28 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Iowa State finished off its sweep of in-state foes by beating Drake, Iowa and Northern Iowa.
Iowa State announced before that game that Crooks was expected to finish return-to-play protocol “early this week.”
Guard Evangelia Paulk also missed the UNI game with a mild soft tissue injury.
Paulk played in Iowa State’s first 11 games this season and averaged 1.6 points and 3.5 rebounds in 11.6 minutes per game off the bench. She is also available for Sunday’s game.
Fennelly added that guard Reese Beaty is still out with a foot injury.
The big news is the return of Crooks. With Big 12 play starting Sunday against Kansas, the Cyclones certainly need Crooks’ production. She has become one of the best post players in the nation for one of the top teams in the country.
The Algona native began the week averaging 27.8 points per game, tops of any women’s basketball player in the country. Crooks has broken Iowa State’s single-game scoring record twice this season, dropping 43 points in one game and 47 in another.
“I think it’s obviously a big deal,” Fennelly said of Crooks’ return. “Audi does so much for our team in a lot of ways. But I was really proud of the way we played Sunday without her. It hopefully gave everyone else a little bit of confidence and gave other teams another thing to think about.”
Iowa State’s 12-0 start is the program’s best since the 2013-14 season, when the Cyclones rattled off 14 straight wins to begin the year. That’s the best in ISU history.
But there is still much more for the Cyclones to accomplish. With Crooks and Brown back and Iowa State adding point guard Jada Williams in the transfer portal, the Cyclones were picked to finish second in the Big 12 this season.
Tommy Birch, the Register’s sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He’s the 2018, 2020 and 2023 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly gives injury update for Audi Crooks
Reporting by Tommy Birch, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
