Iowa State Cyclones center Audi Crooks (55) looks for a shot around Baylor Bears forward Madison Bartley (3) during the second quarter in the Big-12 conference matchup at Hilton Coliseum on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. © Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK
The following is a press release from Iowa State Athletics Communications:
IRVING, Texas – For the first time this season, Audi Crooks has been named the Big 12 Player of the week. It is also the first time since Feb. 2023 that a Cyclone has earned the league’s top player award after Crooks and Addy Brown were named the conference top freshmen in three of the previous four weeks. She also becomes the first Iowa State freshman to earn the conference player of the week honor.
Crooks led Iowa State to a pair of AP Top 25 wins in the same regular season week for the first time since 2009-10. The Algona, Iowa native had her second career double-double, scoring 22 points with 11 rebounds as the Cyclones erased a 19-point third-quarter deficit to defeat then-No. 24 West Virginia 74-64. The freshman center hit a go-ahead basket with 24 seconds left, which stood as the game-winner, capping a 23-point performance against then-No. 4 Baylor. Crooks averaged 22.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and shot 57.6 percent from the floor as she collected her first career player of the week nod after two previous freshman of the week selections.
Crooks leads Iowa State this season with 16.7 points per game while shooting a Division I freshman-best 61.5 percent from the floor. In conference play, she averages 18.0 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.
New to the AP Top 25, No. 24 Iowa State travels to Texas Tech on Wednesday. The matchup with the Lady Raiders is set to tip off at 6:00 p.m. in Lubbock.
