Iowa State Cyclones guard Emily Ryan (11) takes a three-point shot over Cincinnati Bearcats center Destiny Thomas (32)during the first quarter of a NCAA women’s basketball at Hilton Coliseum on March 2, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. © Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK
AMES – Emily Ryan announced Friday that she would return to Iowa State next season for her final year of eligibility.
It was the latest standout moment in a season that’s been filled with them, at least until the Cyclones put away Cincinnati 76-60 on Senior Day.
“I don’t know if anyone would have thought that this team was going to go 12-6 in our league and have the numbers that we had and do the things that we did,” Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly said. “I know the schedule is different, and you don’t compare, but we had a really good team last year that won 11 conference games. This team won 12.
The timing of Ryan’s announcement set up well for Iowa State, giving the group just another thing to be excited about.
Ryan wanted to make the announcement Friday so that she didn’t take any attention away from the graduating players and managers on Saturday.
“When you look up ‘loyalty’ in the dictionary, Emily Ryan’s picture is going to be next to it,” Fennelly said. “We live in a world where that’s (rare). For her to say that she wants to do with this group again – and the way she did it was exactly the way Emily Ryan would do it. She told Billy first, but she wanted it done (Friday) to not disrupt the seniors today. I’ve coached a lot of really good players and I don’t know if there’s been any of them that mean more to Iowa State and to me.
The Cyclones essentially get an ‘extra’ year with their current captain alongside a group of freshmen that have benefitted from playing with Ryan all year.
That recipe for success only looks to be improving.
Iowa State’s win over Cincinnati earned the team a 12-6 finish in Big 12 play, a one-game improvement from a season ago, and could secure the No. 4 seed in Kansas City depending on the results of the rest of the league games this weekend.
“You always want more, but to be realistic, I think what this team accomplished was really special and they should they should be very proud of it,” Fennelly said.
There will always be places to get better – that’s true no matter how ‘good’ a team can be. Iowa State trailed by four points at the end of the first quarter and by as many as six points in the second quarter to a Cincinnati team that finished 5-13.
Iowa State’s seen its share of adversity this year, but the freshman core has proven it can handle it – think of the 19-point comeback win over West Virginia.
Fennelly jokes that the only ones not worried in those moments are his players, following the lead of the freshmen.
To start the second half on Saturday right on cue, the Cyclones stormed to a 14-0 run and never looked back.
“The expectation outside of the room – that didn’t really affect us,” freshman Audi Crooks said. “We knew what we came here to do. And we did it. Regardless of what anybody else said, we had a goal in mind. We had an agenda. We had a couple of slip ups throughout the season. It wasn’t perfect, but everything I think that we’ve really wanted to accomplish, or every setback – we’ve come back from. We’ve just showed that tenacity as a team, and we’ve grown and I’m so excited for our postseason run for the big 12 tournament. I think we’re gonna continue to surprise a lot of people.
Iowa State has about as much momentum at its back that a fan could ask for right now.
And that’s a great thing for a team to have at the start of postseason play.
