AMES — Sophomore forward Addy Brown is known for filling the box score with impressive stats, but she is yet to reach the stat-stuffing pinnacle, the triple-double.

Only three Cyclones have ever reached that mark, and none have done it since 2014 when Nikki Moody had 14 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists against Wyoming. It seems to be inevitable that Brown is next on that list.

As a freshman, Brown had 10 double-doubles, and she has five thus far during her sophomore campaign. Most recently, Brown had a 17-point, 10-assist and nine-rebound double-double when she got subbed out with two minutes and 38 seconds remaining against the Jayhawks.

“I apologized to her,” Iowa State head coach Bill Fennelly said. “She was upset. But I don’t believe in that, and she played 37 minutes. The game was out of hand. I’m not gonna leave a kid in just to get a stat.”

Brown has had multiple games where she has been close to a triple-double, but none have been closer than the game against Kansas. 

“It’s always like, dang, one rebound, I could’ve had it,” Brown said. “Life goes on, we have plenty more games left, so I’m just gonna try and get it another game, I guess. It would have been pretty cool to snag it there in Kansas.”

The Derby, Kansas, native has been one of the most consistent players for the Cyclones, especially since conference play began in early January. In Big 12 games, Brown is second in points per game and leads in both rebounds and assists for Iowa State.

“I just told her, get it in the next game,” Fennelly said. “She’s gonna get it at some point. I mean, her skillset is too good.”

The skillset is not something that Brown just magically developed, either. She has been doing it since high school. As a senior in high school, Brown averaged 20 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two-and-a-half steals per game, dominating the competition.

“I think I did it once in high school, and it’s something that’s pretty hard to get,” Brown said. “I think if I’m able to get that, it’d be cool. If not, it’s okay.”

Her lone high school triple-double did not seem too hard to achieve, resulting in a 66-15 win. She posted 14 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds against the Maize Eagles.

A player like Brown, who has essentially played every position on the floor at some point during the season, provides versatility to the Cyclones’ game. Not only does she score the ball at a high level, but she creates opportunities for her teammates better than most as well.

“The triple-double thing is a big deal,” Fennelly said. “It’s a great stat. I think in most cases, it shows you can do most things on a basketball court. I think she still can. Just because she missed it by one rebound doesn’t mean she can’t still do it.”

The value Brown provides to the Cyclones is much more important than reaching a stat that would etch her name in the record books.

“I mean, we put [Brown] in a lot of different positions, so I think just showing her talent capability has been something cool and special for this team,” sophomore guard Arianna Jackson said. “I think it’s what makes us hard to guard.”

Brown is oftentimes a matchup nightmare, standing at 6-foot 2-inches, but moves and handles the ball like a guard. Against TCU, where sophomore center Audi Crooks had 6-foot 7-inch Sedona Prince occupied, there weren’t many great matchups and a career-high 31 points came from it.

“Not many people can match up with all of us, especially [Brown],” Jackson said. “I definitely think it makes us dangerous, for sure.”

Brown was not trying to get back in the game against Kansas, even after realizing she was so close to it. She even reflected on a few times when she and her teammates had unintentionally stolen rebounds from each other. 

“I had a couple of those, even with Kelsey [Joens], because one game she had nine rebounds and I stole one from her, so I guess she got me back there,” Brown said. “But no, I mean that game just is what it is, and we’ll try and get it another game.”

The Cyclones beat Kansas 93-80, and the final few minutes would all be considered garbage time, so Fennelly was not going to risk an injury for the accolade. Quite frankly, that is also just not how Fennelly coaches.

Despite the close calls and consistent efforts from Brown, Fennelly is not going to help her out by playing her just to get stats. If she earns the triple-double, she earns it, but he is not going to hand it to her just to say she got it.

“If you do it in the flow of the game, yeah, we’re gonna run one more play for you, sure,” Fennelly said. “But just to leave her in to hopefully get another rebound, I don’t believe in that.”