Iowa State University Athletics
2025-26 Cyclone Women's Basketball Season in Review
04.15.2026 | Women's Basketball
AMES, Iowa – Iowa State women's basketball concluded its 31st season with head coach Bill Fennelly at the helm, making its 24th NCAA Tournament appearance and recording its 20th 20-win season in program history. The Cyclones earned their seventh consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament, one of just 12 women's teams nationally to appear in each of the last seven championships.
ISU matched the best start to a season in program history, winning each of its first 14 contests. The run was highlighted by the "State Championship" as the Cyclones swept in-state foes Drake, then-No. 11 Iowa and UNI. Iowa State also brought home the Coconut Hoops Classic title with wins over Marquette and Indiana in Fort Myers. Conference play also contained many highlights, including a game-winning buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Kenzie Hare to take down Kansas in Hilton Coliseum as well as an 80-73 victory at then-No. 21 Texas Tech to secure Fennelly's all-time Big 12 Conference wins record.
#HILTONMAGIC
The Cyclones have been phenomenal at home during Bill Fennelly's tenure, compiling a 411-87 record (.825) in Hilton Coliseum, including a 204-9 (.958) mark against regular-season non-conference opponents. Iowa State has gone undefeated at home three times, most recently during the 2004-05 season. ISU finished the 2025-26 non-conference home schedule with a spotless 9-0 record. It was the 24th time Iowa State has gone undefeated in Hilton against regular-season non-conference opponents and second straight under head coach Bill Fennelly. Iowa State's 15 wins at Hilton Coliseum this season tied for the seventh-most in a season in school history.
REIGNING FROM THREE
Iowa State is historically one of the top 3-point shooting teams in the country. ISU averaged 8.1 3-pointers per game last season, a mark that ranked 32nd in NCAA DI and fourth in the Big 12. This year, Iowa State improved to 8.3 triples per contest, ranking 34th nationally and fourth in the Big 12. Addy Brown (123), Kenzie Hare (209), Sydney Harris (225), Arianna Jackson (144), and Jada Williams (124) each own at least 100 career makes from beyond the arc. Iowa State finished with 285 3-pointers in each of the last two seasons, tied for the sixth-most in a season in Iowa State history ... all of the top nine totals have come during the tenure of head coach Bill Fennelly. Iowa State was second in the country in 2021-22 with 357 made 3-pointers ... in six seasons prior to Bill Fennelly's arrival at Iowa State (the first six with the 3-pointer in women's basketball), ISU combined for 345 3-pointers.
Iowa State has hit 200 or more 3-pointers in a season 23-straight seasons, which is an NCAA record. The Cyclones made 263 triples through 32 games (8.3/game) and allowed 6.6 3-pointers per game.
Cyclone 3-point specialists Jackson and hare were two of 33 women's basketball players from major conferences (Big 12, Big Ten, ACC, SEC, Big East) and two of five from the Big 12 to have seven or more games this season with 3-point field goal percentages of .600-plus (min. two 3FGA). Over three seasons, Jackson developed into her role and is one of the nation's best 3-point shooters ... as a sophomore, she shot 36.6 percent from beyond the arc. As a junior, Jackson improved to 43.9 percent on a team-best 61 triples ... her 3-point percentage led the Big 12 and ranked ninth nationally.
SHARE AND SCORE
Iowa State is one of the best assisting teams in the country this season. ISU is averaging 20.0 assists per game, a mark that ranks fourth nationally and leads the Big 12 Conference. Iowa State recorded back-to-back games with 30-plus assists (Valparaiso, Nov. 12; Norfolk State, Nov. 16), the first time on record in program history (c. 1994-95) with back-to-back 30-assist games. The Cyclones have finished five seasons with 600-plus team assists, including each of the last three. ISU totaled 639 assists through 32 games in 2025-26, the second all-time mark by a Cyclone team behind last season's 675 dimes. Iowa State also owned the nation's third-best assist/turnover ratio at 1.58.
2025-26 TEAM LEADERS
Points: Audi Crooks (801)
Field Goals: Audi Crooks (320)
FG Percentage: Audi Crooks (.649, 320-493)
3-Point Field Goals: Arianna Jackson (61)
3FG Percentage: Arianna Jackson (.439, 61-139)
Free Throws: Audi Crooks (160)
FT Percentage: Alisa Williams (.808, 42-52)
Rebounds: Audi Crooks (239)
Assists: Jada Williams (246)
Steals: Jada Williams (31)
Blocks: Audi Crooks (24)
OTHER NOTABLES
- Iowa State enjoyed its 19th 20-win season and appeared under head coach Bill Fennelly and appeared in its 24th NCAA Tournament during the 2025-26 season.
- The Cyclones are one of 12 teams in NCAA DI to make each of the last seven NCAA Championships ... ISU also one of just four schools to have both its women's and men's basketball team in each of the last four NCAA Tournaments.
- Iowa State matched its best start in program history (2013-14), winning each of its first 14 games, highlighted by wins over then-No. 11 Iowa as well as two wins to take the Coconut Hoops Classic title over Marquette and Indiana.
- ISU is the only Big 12 team this century to have two players record 40-point games in a single season (Jada Williams, Audi Crooks).
- Iowa State juniors Audi Crooks (unanimous) and Jada Williams were named First Team All-Big 12 while Arianna Jackson was recognized as the league's Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the first in Cyclone women's basketball program history.
- Crooks broke the school record for single-game point total twice, first against Valparaiso (43, Nov. 12) and again against Indiana at the Coconut Hoops Classic (47, Nov. 30).
- In his 31st season at the helm, Bill Fennelly is the winningest coach in Iowa State athletics history and 15th all-time among NCAA DI women's basketball coaches ... his 822 career wins are also third-most among active NCAA Division I head coaches.
- With a win at Texas Tech, Fennelly earned his 297th Big 12 win and became the league's winningest head coach, passing Kim Mulkey's (Baylor) 296 victories.
- Crooks and Williams were also recognized with All-America honors throughout the postseason ... Crooks was a Second Team All-American by The Sporting News, AP and USBWA and joined Williams as WBCA All-America Honorable Mention.
- The Cyclones finished the season as one of the nation's top ballhandling teams, leading the Big 12 Conference and ranking in the top five nationally in both assist/turnover ratio (1.58) and assists per game (20.0).
