AMES – Currently riding a four-game winning streak, the Cyclones have recognized that they are playing their best basketball of the season, instilling confidence in the team as they enter their final three games of the season.

The wake-up call that Iowa State needed to improve before the postseason was its devastating 82-69 loss against then-No. 9 TCU, where the Cyclones had trouble coming together as a team. 

Sophomore center Audi Crooks and sophomore forward Addy Brown were the only two players to form a connection on the court, both cementing a combined total of 60 points, to carry their team to a 13-point loss.

After playing their worst game of the season, the loss was a clear sign that the Cyclones desperately needed to get back in check. As of now, the Cyclones have played their best games in a while as they now hold a winning streak of four, much in part from the team’s improvement in establishing equal shooting patterns.

“I think there are a lot more people getting involved and contributing evenly than there was at the beginning of the season,” Crooks said. “So that’s a welcome sight for me. That makes my job a little bit easier, makes everybody’s life a little bit easier, so really excited about that.” 

“I just tell them, we are playing important games at the end of the year and there is a lot to play for,” Iowa State head coach Bill Fennelly said.

The first sign of team progression was shown in the Cyclones’ away game against Cincinnati, where the team brought home a 72-52 victory due to a change in point production. 

In a surprising turn of events, sophomore guard Arianna Jackson brought home a new career best of 17 points, due to her strong four made shots from behind the arc. Sophomore guard Kelsey Joens joined Crooks’ team-high of 18 points, with 11 points of her own.

“It’s kinda what we were trying to do in the first part of the season,” junior guard/forward Sydney Harris said. “We just weren’t shooting down shots consistently, but now I think those are starting to fall now, and we are just playing really well.” 

Accompanying one win with another, the Cyclones continued their success with a dominant 86-56 win against Colorado, where Brown, Jackson and fifth-year guard Emily Ryan all contributed 12 points, complementing Crooks’ usual point leadership of 33 points.

Traveling to another away game, Harris mentioned how the 93-80 away game win against Kansas was the turning point for the team to really showcase themselves. Five players made points in double digits, including Harris, who had a season-high of five made 3-point shots, which illustrated how much depth and talent is on the team.

“I think we are just showcasing ourselves well, I think we did really well at Kansas,” Harris said. “It was an away game and we came out, all shots went really well and sharing the ball.”

The Kansas game set a new standard for the Cyclones as they hit a season-high 18 3-point field goals. The team made 57% of their shots from field goal range and had a 50% success rate from behind the arc.

In the most recent matchup against Houston, the Cyclones’ win streak was boosted to four after a 64-53 win at home. The shooting distribution kept strong and the team point leader was Joens, who had a team-high of 13 points. Brown and Crooks both ended the night with 12 points.

“I think we are playing our best basketball right now, we had a little rough patch yesterday but you know it happens when you play at home and we hadn’t been here for a little bit,” Harris said. “But I think we are figuring it out now. Even coach [Fennelly] was saying, we are playing our best basketball right now and that’s what matters. When you start getting close to March, that’s when you got to start playing well.”

The consistent shooting has not always been a factor during the 2024-25 season, as each player has had a breakout game, but still sometimes struggles to have a sense of stability on the offensive side. 

That holds true for junior guard Lily Hansford, earning her season-high 12 points against UCF, and freshman guard Reagan Wilson, making a season-high 10 points against Arizona State. 

However, with the newfound confidence on the court and a change in strategy and rotations, the Cyclones have now developed an equal-point balance that highlights the talent of each player on the team.

“The shots have always been there, they just haven’t been going in for a decent majority of our team,” Crooks said. “We have definitely had nights and certain players have nights and step up, that sort of thing. But right now, I think it’s consistent from everybody across the board, so that’s the main difference I notice.”