PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 22: Audi Crooks #55 of the Iowa State Cyclones reacts after scoring and being fouled on the shot against the Maryland Terrapins during the second half in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at Stanford Maples Pavilion on March 22, 2024 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
STANFORD, Calif. – Iowa State women’s basketball played five freshman routinely in its nine-player rotation this year. On Friday it made the second biggest comeback in NCAA Tournament history to punch its ticket to the Round of 32.
On Sunday (9 p.m. ESPN) it will face No. 2 Stanford, a historical stalwart in women’s basketball that hasn’t lost more than six games in a season in six years and is 42-5 in NCAA Tournament games at home.
“It’s a hard thing because they’re going to get some stuff, but I do think our offense has to be really efficient,” Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly said. “They’re so precise in what they do, how they defend. Their length is a real problem inside and outside. So, yeah, we’re going to have to do some things and gamble a little bit, and like any game, you hope that the kids that are great shooters don’t have a great night and you hope a couple of the guys on your team that maybe have struggled a little knock a few in. That’s the nature of this event. That’s what we’re hoping for tomorrow.”
The Cardinal boast a pair of post talents in Kiki Iriafen and Cameron Brink – who each are in the top 60 in scoring nationally this season.
Those two will go head-to-head with budding Iowa State star Audi Crooks, who is coming off of a career-high, 40-point game Friday.
“I’m glad I don’t have to guard her,” Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said of Crooks. “We have players on our team that are going to work really hard against her. They’re not a one-trick pony. They have some really great perimeter shooters, again, great schemes, work really hard. They know what they’re doing out there. I think it should be a really great game.”
Stanford’s got guards that can put up numbers, too, and layers and layers to its own successes.
But Fennelly’s message to his team was a lot like the old days in the Big 12 preparing for Baylor teams that were stacked at the post.
“We talked about it a lot today in our meeting, and basically Cameron Brink blocks a lot of shots and she’s going to block them tomorrow,” Fennelly said. “Don’t feel about bad about it. You got to go to the basket. Got to make plays. Can you get a foul on her if she blocks it out of bounds our run an in-bounds play? I think we’ve always tried to balance that a little bit. Kind of goes back to when we played against Brittney Griner for four years. You have to be smart about it, but you cannot shy away from that, because once you do that, then it’s one thing to block shots, it’s another thing to change the game thinking people are going to block shots. So we don’t want to play that way. You know, she’ll get a few tomorrow and hopefully not too many.”
Going against the odds has been a theme for the Cyclones over the season.
Part of what made the team’s success possible was the characteristics of its five freshmen.
“Our team is pretty loose,” Fennelly said. “It’s just their personality. I do think when you get into the NCAA tournament, the pressure to win the first
game is really, really hard. Obviously we didn’t win the first game last year. No matter what you do, obviously I’m not big on ‘you have nothing to lose.’ Yeah you do. You have a game to lose and seasons to end. I don’t buy into that, but I do think our kids, they understand. They’re smart. We’re playing one of the best teams in the country in their building. I don’t think anyone is going to go into it, besides my grandson probably, picking us to win. That’s what this tournament is about.”
Playing loose certainly helped Crooks Friday.
That’s been a trait shared throughout the roster, and made a difference in it comeback wins over Baylor and West Virginia, or on the big stage punching a Big 12 title game ticket in the wins over Baylor and Oklahoma.
“We have to play 40 really good minutes,” Fennelly said. “It’s not a best four out of seven. Our kids are excited. They know the opportunity in front of them. We’ll show up and compete and try and find a way to score on them and guard them.”
Don’t expect Crooks to vie for another career high, though.
She’s approaching it like any other game she’s played.
“I’m just going to stick to the game plan,” Crooks said. “I say this in every interview. Do whatever I can, and take whatever opportunities that come to me. Last night obviously that was interesting, so I’m — not every game is
going to be like that. However, I’m just going to take what the team gives.”
We’ll find out on Sunday what Iowa State is able to force Stanford to give.
