DES MOINES, Iowa — Two of the state’s biggest basketball programs are cruising into December with perfect records and national attention firmly fixated on them. The women’s teams from Iowa State Cyclones and the Iowa Hawkeyes both remain unblemished, and while one kept consistent in the national rankings this week, the other experienced a minor decrease.
Iowa State has been nothing short of electric to start the season, and voters took note again this week. The Cyclones maintained their position at No. 10 in the most recent AP Top 25 Women’s College Basketball Poll with yet another outstanding scoring display spearheaded by sophomore wonder Audi Crooks. In Sunday’s triumph over Indiana, Crooks produced a scoring masterclass, pouring in 47 points and shattering her own single-game school record in the process.
It was the kind of performance that leaves opponents frantically searching for answers and supporters shaking their heads in shock. Crooks scored from all over the court, including post-ups, mid-range shots, and visits to the free-throw line, demonstrating once more why she’s rapidly rising to the top of the nation’s basketball conversation. The explosion didn’t simply take Iowa State to victory; it sent a clear message that this is a squad equipped to contend long into the postseason.
Jada Williams, who scored 23 points in her finest game of the season, helped her win. Williams made the Hoosiers pay for every mistake by attacking gaps and making timely shots, while Crooks took up the majority of the defensive focus. That balance is becoming a characteristic of this Cyclone group – while one star commands the spotlight, others are ready to step into it.
Now, Iowa State gets a breather. The Cyclones have a full week off to relax, recover, and prepare before returning to Hilton Coliseum on December 7 to face Northern Illinois. As the calendar starts to shift toward conference play and big nonconference games, head coach Bill Fennelly will have an opportunity to fine-tune aspects over the brief break.
Despite being moved down one rank by the pollsters, the Hawkeyes are still winning throughout the state. North Carolina soared to the top of the rankings this week, pushing Iowa from No. 11 to No. 12. The decline has nothing to do with a loss — the Hawkeyes are still a perfect 8–0 — but it highlights exactly how busy and competitive the top tier of women’s college basketball has become.
In a game that demonstrated both depth and tenacity, Iowa defeated Fairfield 86–72 on Sunday in Iowa City. With an 18-point, 16-rebound double-double, freshman forward Ava Heiden put on one of the most comprehensive games of her young career. She didn’t stop there. In addition, Heiden blocked four shots on defense and handed out a career-high four assists, showing fans how effective she can be when she’s tuned in on both sides of the ball.
Kylie Feuerbach supplied a major lift off the perimeter with 17 points, tying her career high. Time and again, the Hawkeyes rely on her shooting to balance the offense when Fairfield made short runs.
The ability to respond, rather than panic, has been a quiet strength for this Iowa squad through the early weeks of the season. There won’t be much time for the Hawkeyes to consider their triumph over Fairfield. On December 6, they will head east to play Rutgers in Piscataway, New Jersey, which will be their next challenge. Big Ten road games are never easy, and this trip will give Iowa another opportunity to demonstrate its ability to perform under duress in a foreign setting.
The game that everyone in the state is talking about is only a few days away, even though both teams having games right now. On Wednesday, December 10 at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, the Cyclones and Hawkeyes will square off in one of the most eagerly awaited in-state contests in the history of women’s sports.
The game will be broadcast nationally on FS1, with tip-off scheduled for 5 p.m. It’s a rivalry that already carries plenty of intensity, and this year’s version adds an extra element of suspense. Both programs are unbeaten going into December. Both are among the top 12 in the country. Both feature emerging stars and veteran contributors. And both fan bases feel, with good cause, that amazing things could be ahead this season.
As of the latest survey issued December 1, the national landscape remains packed at the top. UConn is ranked first, with Texas, South Carolina, UCLA, and LSU completing the top five. Michigan, Maryland, TCU, and Oklahoma occupy slots six through nine, barely ahead of Iowa State at No. 10. North Carolina comes in at number eleven, followed closely by Iowa at number twelve. The remaining teams in the Top 25 are Ole Miss, Baylor, Vanderbilt, USC, Kentucky, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Michigan State, Washington, Louisville, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, and West Virginia.
Both Iowa programs will concentrate on the games that are right in front of them for the time being. However, it is impossible to overlook the wider picture. Women’s basketball in the state is in the spotlight thanks to their undefeated records, national rankings, and upcoming high-profile rivalry match. It seems like this season’s tale is just getting started.
