Even though Iowa State women’s basketball was eliminated from the NCAA tournament, it doesn’t have Audi Crooks thinking pessimistically.
It’s quite the opposite. Following the game, she explained via Tommy Birch on X (formerly Twitter) her thought process.
“I’m not going to harp on too much that we would have done, could have, should have done because that’s over,” Crooks said. “That’s not going to help us in any way, shape or form.”
Luckily for Crooks, she is only a sophomore. Still, a first-round exit in the NCAA tournament isn’t easy to digest. However, the sophomore center has plenty of promise.
For instance, Crooks joined elite NCAA history by having a 1,000+ point season. She’s been a beast inside, and teams haven’t had an answer for her.
Either way, it wasn’t what she wanted. After TCU basketball won the Big 12 with Hailey Van Lith, there was more competition in the conference.
Audi Crooks isn’t down after Iowa State women’s basketball loss
She had two more seasons following this one. Crooks led the Big 12 in points per game and field goal percentage, as well as two-point field goal percentage.
It didn’t seem that Iowa State women’s basketball would lose in the first round, or early on. However, their worst fear came to life in the first round.
Although Crooks’s comments are a bit too optimistic, there’s nothing wrong with it. It might show some level of positivity within the program.
With the transfer portal and NIL, players might be intrigued to play alongside Crooks. She has shown her dominance consistently.
At the end of the day though, the Cyclones’s season is over. There might be more to look forward to during the offseason with any potential moves being made.
For Crooks, establishing that winning culture could be the next mission. And a first-round NCAA tournament exit will be a high motivating factor moving forward.
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