Iowa State Cyclones forward Addy Brown (24) takes a shot between Kansas State Wildcats guard Serena Sundell (4) and guard Jaelyn Glenn (3) during the first quarter of a NCAA women’s basketball at Hilton Coliseum on Feb.14, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. © Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK
AMES — Iowa State head women’s basketball coach Bill Fennelly often speaks of “a freshman wall.”
It refers to a point in the season when first-year college players are usually wrapping things up, rather than steeling themselves for a strong stretch run that could be called “a freshman finish.”
“After the Texas (loss) we made a big graphic and it’s like we have a four-game season,” said Fennelly, whose Cyclones (15-10, 9-6) will reach the halfway point of that regular season-ending sprint after Saturday’s 6 p.m. Big 12 clash with BYU (15-13, 5-10) at Hilton Coliseum. “You know, ‘Let’s get ready.’”
ISU handled Houston, 76-64, Wednesday on the road to successfully complete the first segment of that four-part journey. The Cyclones now seek to sweep the Cougars and solidify their NCAA Tournament hopes. ESPN women’s basketball bracketologist Charlie Creme currently has ISU pegged as an 11-seed initially facing No. 6-seeded Creighton in Boulder, Colo.
“We have a four-game calendar in the locker room and that’s kind of been our mindset,” said freshman forward Addy Brown, who scored a career-high 24 points in her team’s 80-75 road win at BYU in early January. “Focus on the games we have and what we have to do to finish. I feel like our seniors and older girls have done a really good job of pushing us through that (freshman) wall.”
One of those seniors, Emily Ryan, returned from a leg injury in mid-December and is playing her best ball of the season. Ryan’s notched two of her three double-doubles in the past three games and has dished out seven or more assists in five of the past six.
“These last three (games) are super important,” Ryan said. “We know that going into tournament time, but (BYU’s) gotten a lot better throughout the season (since) the first time we played them. You look at their scores (and see) they’ve had some really close games with some really good teams, but we’re excited to have them back a Hilton and get after it.”
Brown will look to get off more shots from the field Saturday and beyond. Fennelly said in high school she was among the best passers he’d ever seen — and that includes prospective point guards.
“I read in some article that there are quarterbacks that are ‘arm arrogant,’ because they think they can throw it anywhere,” Fennelly said. “She thinks she can pass it anywhere sometimes, but she really understands what she wants to do. We’ve tried to get her to be more selfish. I think she passes too much when she should be shooting it more.”
Fennelly said that’s a net positive to Brown’s game. But if she’s going to help put that “freshman wall” fully in the rearview mirror, less sharing and more shot-making will be required.
“She’s tough-minded,” Fennelly said of Brown, who leads ISU in rebounding (8.5 per game) and assists (5.7). “She’s got a little edge to her that good players have. I think it’s been a really, really good season for her and I’d be shocked if she doesn’t finish it in a really positive way.”
