Sarah Strong, Azzi Fudd, Jazzy Davidson, and Lauren Betts are among the front-runners for Player of the Year. They’re scoring efficiently and doing it in fewer minutes. But another contender is quietly slowly making her case, and stacking historic performances along the way.

We're talking about Audi Crooks. Amidst the roaring crowd of 14,000, Crooks went to the free-throw line and sealed a win over in-state rival Iowa. She logged 36 minutes and finished with 30 points, shooting 13-of-20 from the field. She added 10 rebounds and a block in a performance that pushed her into rare company.

That’s because she’s now just the seventh player, and only the second woman, to score 30 or more points on at least 65% shooting in three straight games. That means she’s now in the elite club featuring NBA and WNBA legends Shaquille O’Neal, Brittney Griner, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and a handful of other players to accomplish this rare feat.

Audi Crooks' run began with a 30-point outing in just 19 minutes against Northern Illinois, where she went 13-of-19 from the floor and grabbed four rebounds. She followed that with a career-high and program-record 47 points against Indiana, shooting an astonishing 19-of-25 from the field.

So simply put, she’s been unstoppable with 27.8 points per game with a 72.2% success rate. Even more impressive, Audi Crooks is doing it in 3.4 fewer minutes per game than last season, yet scoring 4.4 more points per contest.

Also, this isn’t her first brush with history. Crooks has also averaged at least 25 points per game while shooting 75% from the field, a feat matched only by Blake Griffin. The big question now is whether she can sustain this momentum.

Audi Crooks’ Team Gears Up for Tougher Tests

Iowa State has looked strong so far and remains undefeated. Still, head coach Bill Fennelly has acknowledged that the pressure will rise. At the time of the game, the Cyclones’ schedule ranked 308th nationally, raising questions about the strength of competition.

Last season, Iowa State tested itself in nonconference play against powerhouses like UConn and South Carolina. This year’s slate hasn’t been nearly as demanding.

“This season’s schedule hasn’t been nearly as difficult,” Fennelly noted. But after a win over the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Cyclones are satisfied. As Crooks shared, “I feel like now we’re officially battle-tested,” she said.

But competition will intensify as the Big 12 play approaches. And with it, the true test of whether Crooks can keep operating at this historic level.

Written by

Yashika Dutta

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi