Dont let the smile fool you, Audi Crooks is a force to be reckoned with. It seems like no one on Kansas State could stop the 6-3 center when the Cyclones played the Wildcats just three days ago on March 2. Thats because, well, they literally couldnt, especially not in the paint, where she bulldozed through her defenders with strength and versatility. It was in the second quarter where Crooks shook em off, annihilating K-States attempt at a double-team and hitting a floater right over senior Kennedy Taylor.
The Cyclones, up by 2 points, went crazy with excitement after the play, from the bench to head coach Bill Fennelly to sophomore guard Kelsey Joens and forward Addy Brown, who gave a smiling Crooks a celebratory chest bump.
Through the highs and lows of this season, Crooks has been the force propelling the Cyclones forward when theyve needed it the most. The previous time Iowa State played K-State, in late January, Crooks had a double-double of 28 points and 11 boards in a down-to-the-wire OT thriller, with Iowa State coming out on top, 79-87. This time around, she finished with 36 and 10 in the 85-63 upset win.
If we throw it in there, we know its going up and its going in, sophomore forward Addy Brown told us earlier this season. Thats a good thing to have inside, and we kind of play around her.
Crooks has been dominating in the post since her high school days at Bishop Garrigan High School in Algona, IA, where she led her squad to back-to-back state titles and inked her name in the state record books. She broke the tournament record by dropping 49 points in the state championship game, doing so while ducking the haters who tried to call her a one-hit wonder, like she does her defenders. The critics say sometimes that all I do is get baskets right under the basket, she told The Gazette in 2023. I mean this in the most humble way: It works.
Its at Iowa State that Crooks has perfected the art of posting up. The minute the Cyclones get possession of the ball on the offensive end, Audi is always right there, scheming under the basket and boxing out or dancing with her defenders. Sometimes shell take a few dribbles and then either push right past her opponent or go right under them for a smooth layup finish.
Whats even scarier for everyone is that this season, Crooks has been challenging herself to knock down jumpers from the mid-range, too. After earning All-Big 12 honors as a freshman, she locked in on it during the offseason. I took the time to appreciate what I did my first year, but also improve, Crooks tells us. [I] focused a lot [on] turning up [on] the defensive end of the floor, being a better defender, being a better shot blocker, and then also coming out of the paint a little bit [with my] mid-range game, trusting myself with the rock and trusting myself to be able to handle the ball.
Its that trustin herself and from her squadthats led Crooks to emerge into a college basketball star as just a sophomore. I chose Iowa State because it made me feel cared for as a person, not just for what I do on a basketball court, Crooks told us when asked about her decision to play for the Cyclones. During her recruiting process, Fennelly and his staff worked hard to make sure she felt that way, from dining at her favorite restaurant, Cinco De Mayo, a local Mexican spot in Algona, to sending her a picture of her future locker. They even defended her against the aforementioned critics, including on the night that Crooks led her high school squad to a state title.
As a disgruntled fan questioned whether she could play at the next level in college, Fennelly remembers snapping back at them then. Were not recruiting somebody to sit on the bench, he told them then per The Des Moines Register.
That so-called fan, and really anyone who has doubted her ability to compete in college, couldnt have been more wrong. As a freshman, Crooks played in every game, and by the fifth, became a starter. She then broke records, became the first Cyclone freshman ever to be named an All-American and captivated the world while leading the Cyclones to the NCAA tournament, where she had a monstrous 40-point performance in the first-round win against Maryland. Then Crooks held her own in the paint against future WNBA first-rounder Cameron Brink when Iowa State played Stanford in the second-round. Despite the loss, it was the first time the Cyclones had made it that far in the postseason since 2020-21.
Now in her sophomore campaign, Crooks has upped her numbers across the stat sheet and is currently averaging a career-high 23 ppg on an even more efficient 60 percent from the field. Anytime shes on the floor, you can see she plays with joyand an ever-present smilethat her teammates feed off. Its been the case from the moment she arrived, recalled senior guard Emily Ryan.
I just remember when she came on and [visited] the first time, just her personality stands out right away, Ryan explained. Shes a light, and she lights up every room she walks into.
That energy has been needed, especially this year as the Cyclones have had to grind their way through a tough season. By the time this SLAMU digital cover appears on your feed, their record is 21-10. Expectations are high, especially coming from Fennelly, now in his 30th season coaching in Ames. Hes going to be tough on you, Crooks told us, adding: But at the end of the day, you know that he loves you and that he supports you.
While the Cyclones have yet to make it past the second round of the tournament, theyve got all the pieces to make a run this March. Their top three scorers include Ryan, a poised and elite veteran leader who helps set up the offense, as well as Brown, who is averaging 15 points and 8 rebounds a game. They have plenty of other experienced bucket-getters, too, and just two freshmen on their entire roster.
Audi is their anchor, though, and where she goesor posts upthey all follow. As the Cyclones gear up for the BIG 12 conference tournament, theyll all need to show up for every possession and every match up.
She just dominates, Ryan said of Crooks. Its what she does, and being able to have that enforcer in the paint is huge for us both on the floor. You know what to expect from her every day. Shes super consistent.
For No. 55, consistency is key, she says, not just right now at Iowa State or in the tournament, but throughout her playing career. When asked how she wants to elevate her game, Crooks elaborated: I think a part of my game that I like to elevate is not necessarily going to show up on the stat board. Id like to be a better communicator. Id like to be a better leader and just more consistent overall, whether that be in the paint, at the mid-range, setting screens, whatever it is, even on the defensive end, Crooks said. After Iowa State, I would like to play professionally somewhere. Well see.
Its with those words that a smile appears on her face yet again. Only time will tell whether shell be the one having the last laugh
Portraits by Matthew Coughlin
