AMES – Over the years, Iowa State women’s basketball coach Bill Fennelly heard about the reputation his teams had developed. The Cyclones were known for being an elite 3-point shooting program and having a roster full of nice players.
Too nice.
“People who follow our team and understand the game are always like, ‘Your teams are always too nice,’” Fennelly said. “And I guess it’s kind of a back-handed compliment or it’s a negative.”
The 2025-26 Cyclones are trying to change that narrative. Fennelly’s Iowa State squad is showing some much-needed toughness that has been on display during the first seven games of the season.
The most recent contest finished with No. 15 Iowa State overcoming a slow start to notch a 112-62 victory over Mercyhurst at Hilton Coliseum on Nov. 23.
“Every time we come out, we’re looking to be tough,” said Iowa State guard Kenzie Hare.
Iowa State certainly has the roster to do it. During the off-season, the Cyclones improved noticeably in that department with the addition of three guards. Transfers Jada Williams and Evangelia Paulk joined Iowa State. Freshman Reese Beaty arrived in the summer. Those three bring something different to the table.
Williams, an intense guard, gives Iowa State an in-your-face ball defender. Paulk, who checks in at 6-feet, gives the Cyclones some length and tenacity, frequently diving for loose balls. Beaty provides a little bit of both. Those are things that Fennelly admits his team has needed for quite some time, especially when adversity has hit.
“I do think if you look at our teams in the last few years, when we got punched in the mouth, sometimes we didn’t punch back, metaphorically of course,” Fennelly said. “And I think this team is not going to take any you know what off of anyone. So that’s a good thing.”
While the Cyclones can still shoot it well, they’re also showing that they have another style that they can play with. This season’s team has put an emphasis on defense. With the Cyclones getting in the face of opposing players while on defense and diving for loose balls and fighting for rebounds, they suddenly look a little different than in years past.
“We have lacked an edge to us, a competitive makes a difference when things are going bad,” Fennelly said.
Having that kind of toughness could be beneficial when Iowa State experiences its first share of troubles. Tough times will eventually come for the Cyclones, who have mostly cruised through the early part of what has been an easy schedule. But Fennelly believes they’re better equipped to handle it.
“I think a big focus is just everything we do is do it the Iowa State way, so do it hard, do it how you’re supposed to,” Beaty said. “I think that kind of fits me.”
Arianna Jackson has been rolling
Iowa State junior guard Arianna Jackson capped a huge week by tallying 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting from 3-point range on Sunday. It was the second straight big game for Jackson, who tallied 12 points in the Cyclones’ road win at Drake earlier in the week. Jackson connected on a barrage of 3s early in that contest to give Iowa State a big first quarter lead it would never relinquish.
For the season, she’s shooting 53.6% from beyond the arc. That’s already a leap from the 36.6% she shot from long range last season. Fennelly credits Jackson with the hard work she’s put in.
If Jackson continues to shoot it well, it will make her even more valuable this season. The Des Moines native has provided Iowa State with an extra ball handler while also giving the Cyclones some much-needed defense. But more strong shooting would be huge.
“She’s figured out, ‘OK, I want to play and if I want to play and help our team win, here are my two things that I can do as well if not better than anyone else,'” Fennelly said. “And that’s exactly what happened and certainly that showed this week.”
Fennelly gets an explanation for the flagrant one foul on Audi Crooks
Iowa State star Audi Crooks was whistled for a flagrant one foul during Sunday’s game. The play came as Crooks tried to get to the basket and appeared to elbow her defender in the nose. Officials went to the monitor to review the play. After some discussion, the foul was upgraded to the flagrant one.
“They just said when they reviewed it that she led with her elbow,” Fennelly said. “Anytime there’s contact to the head, it’s a judgment call on whether or not it was intentional or whatever. But that’s what they saw.”
Things get significantly more difficult now
The easiest part of Iowa State’s schedule is complete. The Cyclones will play in the Coconut Hoops event in Fort Myers, Fla., where they’ll face Marquette on Nov. 28 and either Indiana or Gonzaga two days later. Iowa State then wraps up its non-conference schedule with in-state showdowns against Iowa and Northern Iowa.
Knowing that the schedule substantially picks up, Fennelly said the goal was to get everyone in the game Sunday. The Cyclones did that, with all 13 players getting in the game and logging at least eight minutes of playing time. Everyone on the roster scored a basket. Fennelly said that may not happen again this season.
“We’ll come home, re-evaluate where we are, good or bad, and then try and sprint to the finish line,” Fennelly said. “I don’t know if we’re ready, ready. But we need to be ready to do this.”
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 women’s basketball has toughness it has lacked in the past
Reporting by Tommy Birch, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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