The last three games have been tough for Iowa State. The program entered Big 12 conference play with a flawless 12-0 record. After wins over Kansas and Houston, the Cyclones suffered their first loss of the season. Baylor secured a 72-70 win with strong defense on Audi Crooks and Addy Brown. After that, Iowa State also lost to Cincinnati and West Virginia—two unranked teams.
After three consecutive losses, some serious questions are starting to come up, even with the two injuries plaguing the team. How detrimental will Crooks’s defensive shortcomings be down the road? What will it take to turn things around? Who can step up for the team?
Iowa State was without Addy Brown for two of the last three games—she played against Baylor, but was held to only two points—and without Arianna Jackson, who suffered a knee injury in the team’s second loss, against West Virginia. Getting healthy would be the easiest way for the Cyclones to bounce back and re-establish themselves as a contender in the Big 12. Unfortunately, Brown could be out for a while, judging by Bill Fennelly’s comments after the loss to West Virginia. He said that there would be “some time involved.” So, if both Jackson and Brown are expected to be out for a while, Iowa State’s only real hope is that someone else steps up in a big way.
Addy Brown and Arianna Jackson are two of Iowa State’s most important players
Addy Brown is one of three Iowa State players who average more than ten points per game. She is also the team’s leading rebounder and second-best volume 3-point shooter. Not having her against Cincinnati and West Virginia really hurt the team.
Sydney Harris filled in for her in the starting lineup in both games. She recorded 4 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, and 2 steals against Cincinnati and 15 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block against West Virginia.
Arianna Jackson isn’t necessarily a big-time scorer, but she can really space the floor. 61 of her 66 field-goal attempts have come from behind the arc, and she sank 47.5% of them over her first 16 games. Losing Jackson when Brown was already out was a huge blow to Iowa State’s offense, especially considering that they had to put a freshman in the starting lineup.
Reese Beaty played a season-high 28 minutes against West Virginia. She recorded 4 points, 1 rebound, 6 assists, and 1 steal but also shot only 1-7 from the field and committed six turnovers.
With two starters out against WVU, Bill Fennelly had to rely on reserves who usually don’t play much to contribute. Reagan Wilson played 28 minutes off the bench, and Alisa Williams and Evangelia Paulk got 16 and 15 minutes of playing time, respectively. Wilson and Williams usually average only between 10 and 12 minutes per game, and Paulk averaged just below ten minutes coming into the game.
After the game, Coach Fennelly said, “We’re trying to play people that maybe aren’t ready for the moment, but we don’t really have another choice.”