Iowa State’s Audi Crooks has been turning heads all season, and her hard work has paid off with a nomination as one of the top 10 candidates for the Lisa Leslie Award.
The honor, given annually to the best centers in NCAA Division I women’s basketball, recognized Crooks’s stellar performances and cements her place as one of the nation’s top players.
Audi Crooks Makes a Strong Case for the Lisa Leslie Award
Crooks has been an essential player for the Iowa State Cyclones in the 2024‑25 season. Her impressive stats and consistent play led to her being named one of the top‑10 finalists for the Lisa Leslie Award, which recognizes the best centers in women’s college basketball. The award is named after Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie, a three‑time All-American considered one of the greatest centers in the sport’s history.
Crooks is the second Iowa State player to be named a top‑10 finalist for the award. Kristin Scott earned the same recognition in 2020. Crooks’s outstanding play has propelled her into this elite group, showcasing her abilities as one of the top centers in the nation.
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Through the 2024‑25 season, Crooks is averaging 22.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. She has recorded double‑digit scoring in 57 straight games and tallied 16 contests with 20 or more points, demonstrating her offensive dominance. In addition, she became the fastest player in Iowa State women’s basketball history to reach 1,000 career points, doing so in just 49 games.
Crooks has also been a reliable force on the floor, posting a 58.4% field-goal percentage. She has had seven games this season with a shooting clip of more than 65%, proving her ability to convert in high‑pressure situations. In addition to her scoring, Crooks has been a dominant presence in the paint, tallying eight double‑doubles this season and bringing her career total to 15.
Fan Voting and the Final Selection Process
The next step in the Lisa Leslie Award process is fan voting, which began Feb. 7 and will continue until later in the selection period. Fans can vote for their favorite players, and those votes count as one committee vote during the finalist selection process.
In March, the pool of 10 candidates will be narrowed to five finalists. That group will then be evaluated by a committee that includes legends like Lisa Leslie and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The committee will review the players based on their overall performance, with winners chosen at the end of the process.
As Crooks continues to impress on the national stage, the Iowa State Cyclones are gearing up for their next game on Saturday, Feb. 8, against Colorado. The contest, held at Hilton Coliseum, promises to be a key matchup as the Cyclones build on their success this season.
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In addition to the game, Iowa State will honor its 2000 and 2001 Big 12 championship teams, making the contest even more special for the Cyclones’ faithful.
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