Sports
Audi Crooks’ 27.6 PPG Dominates College Basketball : Unstoppable Force
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The Audi Crooks Phenomenon: Why Defenses Can’t Solve the Iowa State Star
In a season packed with elite scorers, Iowa State center Audi Crooks isn’t just leading the nation—she’s redefining dominance. At 6-foot-3, the junior phenom averages a stunning 27.6 points per game, outpacing high-profile guards like Mikayla Blakes, Hannah Hidalgo, and Liv McGill. But Crooks isn’t just putting up numbers; she’s doing it with historic efficiency, making her arguably the most unstoppable force in women’s college basketball today.
Crooks announced herself to the nation during last year’s NCAA tournament, dropping 40 points against Maryland in a breathtaking freshman performance. This season, she’s only amplified that prowess, already topping 40 points twice and scoring 20 or more in eight contests. In a recent display of sheer dominance, she poured in 30 points in just 19 minutes against Northern Illinois.
What makes Crooks so difficult to contain?
For starters, she leads the nation in field goal percentage at a remarkable 73.2%. Her footwork in the paint has sharpened each season, allowing her to create space with patience and precision. Combined with a silky mid-range jumper and intelligent shot selection, Crooks wastes little movement and capitalizes on every opportunity.
Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly admits he’s witnessing something extraordinary. “It’s not something I’ve seen, really, maybe ever,” he said. Opponents are resorting to double- and triple-teams, physical play, and tactical fouls to slow her down—so far, to little avail.
Crooks also carries a remarkable streak: 77 consecutive games with at least 10 points, the longest active run in Division I. She’s on track to join an exclusive club alongside Joel Embiid as only the second player across Division I, NBA, or WNBA to average at least one point per minute in a season.
Tonight, Crooks faces her toughest test yet: the No. 12 Iowa Hawkeyes, a team Iowa State hasn’t beaten since 2021. The matchup features another rising star in Iowa’s Ava Heiden, but the Cyclones are confident. As teammate Reagan Wilson put it, “You throw the ball to her, and it’s going in.”
With unbeaten records on both sides, this rivalry game isn’t just a battle for state bragging rights—it’s a showcase for a player doing the seemingly impossible, night after night.