Iowa State Cyclones forward Addy Brown (24) drives between BYU Cougars forward Emma Calvert (25) and guard Amari Whiting (1) during the third quarter of an NCAA women’s basketball at Hilton Coliseum on Feb. 24, 2024, in Ames, Iowa.© Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK
AMES — Iowa State freshman forward Addy Brown figures about 20 family members and friends cheered her on during Wednesday night’s 82-76 win at No. 15 Kansas State.
They weren’t disappointed, either.
“I wanted to have a good game just because it did mean a lot to me,” said the Derby, Kan. native, who gave her fans plenty to celebrate with a career-high-tying 24-point performance against the Wildcats. “You never want to have a bad game in front of a big crowd that’s there to watch you, so it felt good to see the ball go in.”
Brown’s effort helped the young Cyclones (17-10, 11-6 Big 12) all but clinch an NCAA Tournament berth — and made it more likely they can enjoy a double-bye in next week’s Big 12 Championship event in Kansas City. And if ISU beats Cincinnati (13-15, 5-12) at 1 p.m. Saturday on senior day at Hilton Coliseum, its odds of not playing the first two days in Kansas City spike significantly.
“It would be an amazing thing to get if that were to happen, but it really doesn’t happen until we do our job (on Saturday),” said Cyclone head coach Bill Fennelly, whose team owns four top-25 wins this season. “Everyone knows that, but the good thing is the whole thing is not predicated on watching what the other teams do. It will impact it, but not to the level of, you know, we need all these things to happen. (So) we’re well aware of the possibilities and where (we) could land and the sooner we know, the better.”
ISU will honor seniors Hannah Belanger — who transferred in this season after graduating from Division II Truman State — and Nyamer Diew, who has been a versatile contributor for the Cyclones the past three seasons.
First-team All-Big 12 point guard Emily Ryan, a senior, announced Friday that she’ll return to the team for a fifth season.
“Four years wasn’t enough,” Ryan said in a news release. “Let’s run it back, Cyclone Nation.”
Belanger’s one season with the Cyclones has been a memorable one. She leads ISU in made 3-pointers with 60 and has drained three or more long-range baskets in a game 11 times.
“I’ve just had a long journey and this is kind of what I dreamt of,” Belanger said. “To wrap it up here is truly a dream, so I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”
Diew’s battled illness recently, but has served as an X-factor for the Cyclones throughout her career. She can guard all five positions and played her best basketball last season down the stretch, helping ISU win the Big 12 tournament.
“We got her back in there Wednesday for the first time (in two weeks), and she felt good,” Fennelly said.
Brown certainly felt good about her performance that night in her home state, but she feels even better about her team’s trajectory as the calendar flips to March.
“We know that we can compete with anybody in this league,” she said. “So we’re excited for the opportunity and we’re gonna prepare hard and give it our all.”
