Iowa State’s Crooks named Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year; Cyclones picked second in coaches poll
Iowa State women’s basketball earned two preseason Big 12 honors and was picked to finish second in the conference’s preseason coaches poll, the league announced Thursday. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams.
Center Audi Crooks was named the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year after leading the league in scoring last season with 23.4 points per game on 60.5% shooting. The Algona, Iowa, native represented Team USA at the FIBA AmeriCup this summer, helping the squad capture a gold medal in Chile.
Crooks became the fourth Cyclone to earn the conference’s preseason player of the year award and the first since Ashley Joens in 2022. She started all 35 games last season and set single-season school records for points (820) and field goals made (329). Crooks was named a Third-Team All-American by both the AP and USBWA and earned unanimous First-Team All-Big 12 honors.
Forward Addy Brown joined Crooks on the Preseason All-Big 12 Team, marking her first preseason recognition from the league. Brown earned second-team all-conference honors last season and is one of only three returning Division I players to average at least 15 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists per game.
The Derby, Kansas, native is the only player in program history to record at least 400 points, 250 rebounds and 150 assists in a season, achieving the feat in each of her first two years. Brown has started all 68 games of her career, posting 18 double-doubles and 16 20-point games, including a career-high 41 points against Arizona State in the Big 12 Championship last March — an Iowa State tournament record.
2025-26 All-Big 12 Women’s Basketball Preseason Team
Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, Baylor*
Bella Fontleroy, Baylor
Delaney Gibb, BYU*
Jade Masogayo, Colorado
Addy Brown, Iowa State
Audi Crooks, Iowa State*
S’Mya Nichols, Kansas*
Stailee Heard, Oklahoma State*
Olivia Miles, TCU*
Jordan Harrison, West Virginia
Players are sorted alphabetically by school
*Indicates unanimous selection
With nine returners from 2024-25 and transfer portal additions of Jada Williams (Arizona) and Evangelia Paulk (Wofford), Iowa State was picked second in the Big 12 Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The Cyclones picked up two first-place votes and 202 total points to trail TCU with 219 total points.
2025-26 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. TCU (10) – 219 points
2. Iowa State (2) – 202 points
3. Baylor (2) – 200 points
4. Oklahoma State (2) – 186 points
5. West Virginia – 161 points
6. Kansas – 156 points
7. Kansas State – 143 points
8. Utah – 115 points
9. Colorado – 114 points
10. BYU – 85 points
11. Arizona State – 84 points
12. Cincinnati – 82 points
13. Texas Tech – 63 points
14. Arizona – 47 points
15. Houston – 41 points
16. UCF – 22 points
(first-place votes)
