Latest news with #AudiCrooks
USA Today
31-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Iowa State's Audi Crooks shuts down transfer rumors with 8-word phrase
Iowa State's Audi Crooks shuts down transfer rumors with 8-word phrase Iowa State star center Audi Crooks isn't leaving the Cyclones anytime soon. Things get a little wild during March. The regular season is complete, and there's a lot of action, including the women's NCAA tournament and the transfer portal opening. Inevitably, a lot of information, including rumors, swirls in basketball circles. MARCH MADNESS: Why UCLA's Kiki Rice says athlete mental health during March Madness isn't talked about enough If there were any rumblings about Crooks potentially moving on after a disappointing end to Iowa State's March Madness run, she effectively ended them. On Sunday, she shared an eight-word phrase on her social media: "The grass is greener where you water it." In case that wasn't clear enough, Crooks followed that up with a personal message: "After much thought and consideration ... quit asking! I'm right where I want to be. Let's run it back." That settles it. As Audi Crooks said, quit asking, folks.
USA Today
21-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Who is Audi Crooks? Meet Iowa State's star in Women's March Madness
Who is Audi Crooks? Meet Iowa State's star in Women's March Madness Show Caption Hide Caption Players in March Madness to watch before the WNBA draft Mackenzie Salmon and Meghan Hall give a guide on what players to look out for in the March Madness tournament before the WNBA draft. Sports Seriously Audi Crooks and the Iowa State Cyclones are making noise in the first round of the 2025 women's NCAA Tournament against Michigan. The center isn't a stranger to March Madness and has authored big moments in her young career. Crooks led the Cyclones with 27 points in the 68-63 win over Princeton in Wednesday's First Four matchup. Here is what you need to know about Crooks. How old is Audi Crooks? Crooks is 20 years old. She's a sophomore at Iowa State, giving her as many as two years of eligibility remaining. Will Audi Crooks be in the WNBA Draft? Crooks is not eligible for this year's WNBA Draft because the league requires domestic draft entrants to be at least 22 years old during the year in which the draft takes place and to have no remaining college eligibility or to renounce any future college eligibility. Under the current rules, she'll be eligible in 2027. How tall is Audi Crooks? Crooks is listed on the Iowa State roster at 6-foot-3. She's the tallest player on the team, alongside Lily Taulelei, who is also 6-3. Has Audi Crooks been in the NCAA Tournament before? Iowa State gained national attention last year when Crooks posted 40 points in the win against No. 10 Maryland in the first round. Her 40 points were just two shy of Iowa State's single-game record of 42, set by Tonya Burns in 1984. Her 18 made field goals were a program single-game record. Her mark also matched Baylor legend Brittney Griner's record for most points by a Big 12 player in an NCAA Tournament game. Where is Audi Crooks from? An Algona, Iowa native, Crooks was a standout multi-sport athlete at Bishop Garrigan High School, competing in volleyball and track and field. In basketball, Crooks scored 49 points in the Class 1A state championship game in 2023, setting an all-class state tournament record. Audi Crooks on drawing inspiration from her father After defeating Maryland in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, Crooks drew widespread attention and support in her postgame news conference. When asked about a moment before the game in which she stood by herself, closed her eyes and tugged at her shirt, a tearful Crooks explained that she takes time before every game to pray and seek guidance from her late father, Jimmie, a former college basketball player who died in 2021 at the age of 55, when Audi was 16 years old. 'I just try to kind of take a second and ground myself and tap into my spiritual side and just know that everything's going to be OK,' Crooks said. 'He's got the best seat in the house.' Iowa State's Audi Crooks gets emotional talking about the passing of her father when she was 16 - and how she prays before every game: — Talia Goodman (@TaliaGoodmanWBB) March 23, 2024 What was Audi Crooks' recruit ranking? Crooks was ranked as the No. 57 player nationally in the 2023 recruiting class by ESPN.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Crooks, Brown lead Iowa State women to First Four win over Princeton
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Audi Crooks scored 12 of her 27 points in the fourth quarter, Addy Brown added 22 points and Iowa State rallied from a 15-point second-half deficit then held off Princeton 68-63 in the opening game of the NCAA Tournament on Wednesday night. The First Four victory in the matchup of 11-seeds advances the Cyclones (23-11) to a matchup with sixth-seed Michigan on Friday. The win was No. 800 for coach Bill Fennelly, third-most in women's basketball among active coaches. Crooks, named to The Associated Press All-America third team released Wednesday, dominated the paint where the Cyclones outscored the Tigers 46-28, making 12 of 21 shots. Brown was 9 of 16 with eight assists and seven rebounds. Emily Ryan had six assists in tying the Big 12 career record with 988, matching Niya Johnson's total from 2013-16 with Baylor. Fadima Tall scored 19 points, Ashley Chea had 15 but none in the second half, Skye Belker added 11 and Parker Hill had 10 points and 12 rebounds for Princeton (21-8), which, like Iowa State, was making its sixth straight tournament appearance. SOUTHERN 68, UC SAN DIEGO 56 LOS ANGELES (AP) — Soniyah Reed came off the bench to score 19 of her 24 points in the first half when Southern built a big lead that it was able to ride to an NCAA Tournament First Four win over UC San Diego. The 16th-seeded Jaguars (21-14) won for the first time in seven tournament appearances and go up against overall No. 1 seed UCLA in the round of 64 on Friday. Reed, who came in averaging under 11 points a game, made 8 of 10 shots including three 3-pointers. Aniya Gourdine shot 7 of 14 and added 17 points and seven rebounds. Tionna Lidge scored 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting. The Jaguars shot 49%. Sumayah Sugapong led UCSD (20-16) with 19 points, making three 3-pointers, and had six assists. Parker Montgomery hit four 3-pointers and added 15 points. The Triton duo combined for 25 second-half points. UCSD, which reached the tournament in its first year of eligibility, shot 34%. ———- AP March Madness bracket: and coverage:
USA Today
20-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Women's March Madness First Four updates: Scores, how to watch Wednesday games
Women's March Madness First Four updates: Scores, how to watch Wednesday games Show Caption Hide Caption Women's NCAA March Madness: Keys to a deep run Local reporters break down some of the top teams, and their keys to victory in the 2025 March Madness tournament. The first step to the Final Four commences on Wednesday, with two First Four games tipping off the action from the 2025 women's NCAA Tournament. First up on the 11-seed line are Iowa State (22-11) and Princeton, with the winner advancing to play 6 seed Michigan. Will the Cyclones' Audi Crooks, a sensation in women's March Madness last year, be able to lead a similarly impressive run for Iowa State and Co., starting with a Princeton team that went 21-7 and finished second in the Ivy League? IT'S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY's Bracket Challenge contest for a chance at $1 million prize Following that game, UC San Diego (20-15) and Southern (20-14), champions of the Big West and SWAC tournaments, respectively, will face off from Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles for the right to advance and face No. 1 overall seed UCLA. With that, follow along live for scores, updates and highlights from Wednesday's women's First Four action: This section will be updated when games tip off. TEAMS 1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q F Southern 19 21 UC San Diego 11 9 TEAMS 1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q F Iowa State 18 7 27 16 68 Princeton 11 27 9 16 63 Southern pulling away Southern finding its groove in the second quarter, as it grabs a 27-13 lead. The Jaguars are holding UC San Diego to poor shooting so far, as the Tritons are 5 of 17 shooting to Southern's 11 of 17 shooting. Southern leads 17-11 after 1st quarter Despite both teams struggling to score through the first half of the first quarter, both teams found their groove offensively. It's Southern, though, that takes a 19-11 lead into the second quarter. Southern's Soniyah Reed leads all scorers with 11 points on 4-of-4 shooting with three 3-pointers off the bench. Southern, UC San Diego tip off The second First Four game of the women's NCAA Tournament is underway, as Southern and UC San Diego tip off. The winner gets a chance at UCLA in the Los Angeles Regional. Iowa State holds strong, wins 68-63 Iowa State holds strong, earning a 68-63 win over Princeton in the First Four. The Cyclones will face 6-seed Michigan on Friday. Audi Crooks leads the way with 27 points for the Cyclones, 18 of which came in the second half. Addy Brown was also stellar, with 22 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. Iowa State, Princeton trading buckets in 4th quarter Princeton not going away without a fight, as the Tigers have already outscored their output from the third quarter with 10 points in the fourth so far. Iowa State has also scored 10, however, as the Cyclones hold a 62-57 lead midway through the final period. Crooks leads all scorers with 23 points on 11 of 18 shooting. Iowa State leads 52-47 after 3 quarters What a response for Iowa State, which outscores Princeton 27-9 to take a 52-47 lead into the fourth quarter. Emily Ryan's jumper as time expires makes it 27 points in the quarter, as the Cyclones outscore Princeton 27-7 in the third. Brown and Crooks lead the way with 22 and 15 points, respectively. Iowa State takes lead They say basketball is a game of runs, and this one has been exactly that so far. Iowa State has outscored Princeton 20-4 so far in the third quarter to take a 46-42 lead with a few minutes left until the fourth quarter. The run comes after Princeton outscored Iowa State 27-7 in the second quarter. Quite a change of events. Iowa State starts 2nd half strong The Cyclones shorten their deficit to 42-37 in the third quarter with a 12-4 run to start the second half. Brown and Crooks are unstoppable right now, with 16 and 13 points each. Princeton leads 38-25 at halftime What a second quarter from Princeton, as the Tigers trailed 18-11 after the first quarter but outscore Iowa State 27-7 in the second period to take a 38-25 lead into halftime. Chea and Fadima Tall have 15 and 10 points, respectively, whereas 20 of Iowa State's 25 points have come from Brown and Crooks (11 and nine points, respectively). Princeton ends the first half on a 14-0 run, completely shifting momentum heading into the second half. Ashley Chea cooking for Princeton What a quarter for Princeton's Ashley Chea, has her two 3-pointers late in the first half have helped the Tigers to a 12-0 run in the second quarter. Chea's deep 3-pointer has her up to 15 points with three rebounds and two assists with three 3-pointers so far as Princeton leads 36-25. Addy Brown, Audi Crooks leading way for Iowa State Brown and Crooks are doing it all for Iowa State right now, as Brown enters double figures with 11 points so far after a driving layup. Crooks has also added nine points, as the duo has combined for 20 of the Cyclones' 25 points. Princeton leads 26-25, however, as it has outscored Iowa State 17-7 in the second quarter. Princeton with 10-2 run to start 2nd quarter Here comes Princeton. The Tigers start the second quarter with a 10-2 run to tie the game at 20. Forward Fadima Tall is up to six points now for Princeton. Cyclones take 18-11 lead into 2nd quarter Iowa State has set the tone early, shooting 8 of 16 as a team behind Brown's seven points and Crooks' six points. Brown has also added two rebounds and three assists, as the Cyclones' post presence has been too much for Princeton to handle through a quarter. Iowa State leads early The Cyclones lead 13-9 midway through the first quarter, with Iowa State's Addy Brown already up to seven points. Seven of Princeton's nine points have come from Ashley Chea, who's 3 of 5 shooting with seven points in the first quarter. Women's First Four 20 minutes from tip off Iowa State and Princeton are getting set for the first women's NCAA Tournament game this season, with star forward Audi Crooks leading the Cyclones against the Tigers' Skye Belker and Co. The winner faces Michigan in the first round of the Notre Dame Regional. The First Four is essentially a play-in game for the men's and women's NCAA Tournament, where eight teams compete for four spots in the first round of March Madness. The eight teams are selected based on the NCAA Committee's last four ranked at-large teams at last four ranked automatic qualifiers. The two winners of the at-large First Four games earn 11 seeds, whereas the winners of the last four ranked automatic qualifiers take 16 seeds. Women's First Four times today Game 1: (11) Iowa State vs. (11) Princeton | 7 p.m. ET (11) Iowa State vs. (11) Princeton | 7 p.m. ET Game 2: (16) UC San Diego vs. (16) Southern | 9 p.m. ET The first of Wednesday's women's First Four games, Iowa State vs. Princeton, is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. ET from the Purcell Pavilion in Notre Dame, Indiana. The winner will advance to play 6 seed Michigan. The second game, UC San Diego vs. Southern, is scheduled to tip off at 9 p.m. ET from Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, with the winner advancing to face No. 1 overall seed UCLA. Watch women's First Four with Fubo (free trial) What channels are women's First Four games today? TV channel: ESPNU ESPNU Streaming: March Madness Live | ESPN app | Fubo (free trial) Both of Wednesday's games will air on ESPNU. Streaming options include March Madness Live and the ESPN app, which require valid cable logins. Another option is Fubo, which offers a free trial Iowa State vs Princeton history Series record: N/A This will be Iowa State and Princeton's first time meeting, according to both teams' histories. UC San Diego vs Southern history Series record: N/A This will be UC San Diego and Southern's first time meeting, according to both teams' histories. Women's First Four predictions Iowa State vs Princeton USA TODAY Network: Iowa State 72, Princeton 64 South Bend Tribune: Iowa State Des Moines Register: Iowa State 84, Princeton 65 UC San Diego vs Southern USA TODAY Network: UC San Diego 59, Southern 56 South Bend Tribune: UC San Diego Women's First Four betting odds Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Wednesday, March 19 Iowa State vs Princeton Spread: Iowa State (-4.5) Iowa State (-4.5) Over/under: 136.5 136.5 Moneyline: Iowa State (-210) | Princeton (+170) UC San Diego vs Southern Spread: UC San Diego (-3.5) UC San Diego (-3.5) Over/under: 111.5 111.5 Moneyline: UC San Diego (185) | Southern (+150) Iowa State women's basketball schedule 2024-25 Below are Iowa State's five most recent games. For the Cyclones' full schedule, click here. Saturday, Feb. 22: at Baylor (L, 67-62) at Baylor (L, 67-62) Tuesday, Feb. 25: at UCF (W, 98-73) at UCF (W, 98-73) Sunday, March 2: vs. Kansas State (W, 85-63) vs. Kansas State (W, 85-63) Thursday, March 6: vs. Arizona State (W, 96-88) (Big 12 tournament) vs. Arizona State (W, 96-88) (Big 12 tournament) Friday, March 7: vs. Baylor (L, 69-63) (Big 12 tournament) Princeton women's basketball schedule 2024-25 Below are Princeton's five most recent games. For the Tigers' full schedule, click here. Saturday, Feb. 22: vs. Columbia (L, 64-60) vs. Columbia (L, 64-60) Friday, Feb. 28: at Harvard (W, 70-58) at Harvard (W, 70-58) Saturday, March 1: at Dartmouth (W, 67-55) at Dartmouth (W, 67-55) Saturday, March 8: vs. Penn (W, 67-53) vs. Penn (W, 67-53) Friday, March 14: vs. Harvard (L, 70-67) (Ivy League tournament) UC San Diego women's basketball schedule 2024-25 Below are UC San Diego's five most recent games. For the Tritons' full schedule, click here. Thursday, March 6: at Long Beach (W, 82-51) at Long Beach (W, 82-51) Saturday, March 8: vs. UC Davis (L, 69-58) vs. UC Davis (L, 69-58) Thursday, March 13: vs. Cal Poly (W, 59-54) (Big West tournament) vs. Cal Poly (W, 59-54) (Big West tournament) Friday, March 14: vs. Hawaii (W, 51-49) (Big West tournament) vs. Hawaii (W, 51-49) (Big West tournament) Saturday, March 15: vs. UC Davis (W, 75-66) (Big West tournament) Southern women's basketball schedule 2024-25 Below are Southern's five most recent games. For the Jaguars' full schedule, click here. Thursday, March 6: vs. Alabama State (W, 61-38) vs. Alabama State (W, 61-38) Saturday, March 8: vs. Alabama A&M (L, 48-35) vs. Alabama A&M (L, 48-35) Wednesday, March 12: vs. Mississippi Valley State (W, 63-43) (SWAC tournament) vs. Mississippi Valley State (W, 63-43) (SWAC tournament) Friday, March 14: vs. Jackson State (W, 51-47) (SWAC tournament) vs. Jackson State (W, 51-47) (SWAC tournament) Saturday, March 15: vs. Alcorn State (W, 64-44) (SWAC tournament) We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn't influence our coverage.
USA Today
19-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Women's March Madness games today: Game times, predictions, how to watch
Women's March Madness games today: Game times, predictions, how to watch Show Caption Hide Caption Lucy Olsen talks all things Iowa Hawkeyes basketball Iowa guard Lucy Olsen stops by to talk about the NCAA Tournament and her partnership with Great Clips. Sports Seriously The night after the NCAA men's basketball tournament tipped off, the women's tournament is doing the same. March Madness will officially be underway for women's college basketball Wednesday night with a pair of First Four games. No. 11 seeds Iowa State and Princeton will face off at Purcell Pavilion in South Bend, Indiana in the first matchup, which will be followed by a game between No. 16 seeds UC San Diego and Southern at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles. The Cyclones were a preseason top-10 team that struggled at times over the past four months, with a 22-11 record. Still, they have one of the country's best frontcourt players in center Audi Crooks, who's eighth among all Division I players in scoring this season at 23.2 points per game. They'll face off against a Princeton team that made the field as an at-large inclusion after losing in the semifinals of its conference tournament. The Tigers are one of three Ivy League teams in the NCAA Tournament this season. IT'S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY's Bracket Challenge contest for a chance at $1 million prize The winner between Iowa State and Princeton will square off Friday against No. 6 seed Michigan while either UC San Diego or Southern will advance to take on UCLA, the tournament's No. 1 overall seed. Here's what you need to know about Wednesday's First Four games, including start times, TV channels, streaming information and predictions: March Madness 2025 games today: NCAA Tournament First Four schedule All times Eastern Wednesday, March 19 No. 11 Iowa State vs. No. 11 Princeton, 7 p.m. No. 16 UC San Diego vs. No. 16 Southern, 9 p.m. March Madness 2025: UC San Diego vs Southern predictions USA TODAY Network: UC San Diego 59, Southern 56 South Bend Tribune: UC San Diego San Diego Sports 760: Southern 60, UC San Diego 58 Nate Silver, Silver Bulletin: UC San Diego NCAA Tournament 2025: Iowa State vs Princeton predictions USA TODAY Network: Iowa State 72, Princeton 64 South Bend Tribune: Iowa State Des Moines Register: Iowa State 84, Princeton 65 The Daily Princetonian: Iowa State Watch First Four games with Fubo (free trial) March Madness 2025: How to watch NCAA Tournament First Four Date : March 19 : March 19 Time : 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. ET : 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. ET Location : Purcell Pavilion (South Bend, Indiana) and Pauley Pavilion (Los Angeles) : Purcell Pavilion (South Bend, Indiana) and Pauley Pavilion (Los Angeles) TV : ESPNU : ESPNU Streaming: ESPN App | ESPN+ | Fubo (free trial) Both women's First Four games are airing Wednesday night on ESPNU. The first game between No. 11 seeds Iowa State and Princeton is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. from Purcell Pavilion in South Bend, Indiana, with the second game, between No. 16 seeds UC San Diego and Southern, set to follow from Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles at 9 p.m. ET, though the tip time for that could be pushed back depending on how long the preceding matchup takes to finish. Streaming options for the game include the ESPN App, ESPN+ – ESPN's subscription streaming service – and Fubo, the last of which offers a free trial to potential subscribers. We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn't influence our coverage.
