Audi Crooks, the junior center who ranked second in the nation in scoring this season with 25.8 points per game, is leaving the Iowa State women's basketball team. Crooks announced on Instagram that she is entering the transfer portal and will play her final season of college basketball elsewhere.
Crooks first captured national attention as a freshman in the 2024 NCAA Tournament when she scored 40 points in a first-round win over Maryland. This season, Crooks scored 40 points or more in a game four times. Over her three seasons at Iowa State, Crooks has established herself as one of the most efficient inside scorers in the nation, plowing through opponents on her way to a layup, shimmying defenders off with nifty post moves, or nimbly dancing around them. Her career field goal percentage of 61.1% is fifth all-time in the history of Big 12 women’s basketball.
Despite all of Crooks’ scoring totals and records, her Iowa State teams have underachieved. In three seasons for Bill Fennelly’s Cyclones, she’s never played in the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament despite being one of the sport’s most recognizable players. This season, powered by Crooks’ eye-popping stats, Iowa State started the season off 14-0, but went 8-10 the rest of the way. Iowa State lost in the first round of March Madness to Syracuse despite 37 points from Crooks.
So, where will she land? Here are five possible destinations for Crooks, based on pure speculation:
Oklahoma: The Sooners are going to need a post presence following the graduation of Raegan Beers. Would there be a point guard and center combination in the country better than Crooks and Aaliyah Chavez? It’s also worth pointing out that Oklahoma head coach Jennie Baranczyk was an assistant with Team USA for the AmeriCup team that Crooks played on, and they’re both from the state of Iowa.
Notre Dame: OK — maybe a partnership between Crooks and Hannah Hidalgo would be the best guard-post combo in the country. Hidalgo dragged Notre Dame to its first-ever Elite Eight appearance this season under head coach Niele Ivey, but adding a player like Crooks to the mix could be the recipe that gets the Fighting Irish back into the Final Four and competing for national championships again.
Maryland: If Crooks wants to improve her WNBA draft stock, signing up to play for Brenda Frese would do that. In addition to ensuring that Maryland is a consistent winner and contender in women’s basketball over the past two decades, Frese has also developed a knack for producing post players that succeed at the pro level. Brionna Jones, Shakira Austin and Angel Reese have all come through her program in College Park.
Iowa: This would be the move that would create the most buzz, right? Should Crooks trade in her Cyclones’ jersey for a Hawkeyes’ one, she’d partner with Ava Heiden in the paint to create quite possibly the best front line in the sport and she’d be playing with a talented point guard in Chit-Chat Wright. Like Frese, Jan Jensen has a reputation for getting the most out of her post players too.
North Carolina: The Tar Heels have gone to back-to-back Sweet 16s and are expected to return the bulk of a talented roster, but one that is heavy on guard play. With Nyla Harris graduating, Courtney Banghart will need to bring in a reliable post scorer. Putting Crooks on the court with the likes of Elina Aarnisalo, Nyla Brooks and top-five recruit Kate Harpring could create one of the most lethal offenses Chapel Hill has ever seen.
In my opinion, Crooks has the potential to be a game-changer wherever she goes. Her scoring ability and post moves are unmatched, and her presence on the court can elevate any team. I think she will be a key factor in the success of her new team, and I am excited to see her play in a new environment.
