AMES — Following her commitment to Iowa State, Kelsey Joens knew the importance of her family name, as her family has been well known over the years, especially as Cyclones.

Kelsey Joens followed in the footsteps of her older sisters, Ashley Joens and Aubrey Joens, who both preceded her as Cyclones. Ashley Joens played five seasons on the team from 2018 to 2023, while Aubrey Joens was on the roster from 2020 to 2022 before transferring to Oklahoma. While Kelsey Joens knows the comparisons to her sisters are inevitable, the 5-foot-10-inch guard from Iowa City, Iowa, is eager to make her own mark on the program.

Ashley Joens set multiple records in her five seasons at Iowa State, finishing her career as the Cyclones’ all-time leading scorer (3,060) and rebounder (1,391). She also became the 14th Division I women’s basketball player to reach a career milestone of 3,000 points.

Ashley Joens also earned the honor of Big 12 Player of the Year following the end of the 2022-23 season and ended up being the Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championship Most Outstanding Player following Iowa State’s conference-clinching win in the championship game against Texas.

Ashley Joens’ career at Iowa State will undoubtedly be one of the better performances ever by a player to wear cardinal and gold for as long as the program exists.

While Aubrey Joens did not make as big of an impact in her two seasons as a Cyclone, she still played a big part in Iowa State’s resurgence in the 2021-22 season before leaving for a bigger role on Oklahoma’s team.

Kelsey Joens believes that without her sisters’ accomplishments at Iowa State, she might not have even considered Iowa State as a potential place to continue her playing career.

“They help write my story a little bit,” Kelsey Joens said. “They help put Iowa State on the map for me.”