During last year’s NCAA Tournament, Audi Crooks scored 40 points to power Iowa State past Maryland. Then came a major offseason challenge.

She lost 45 pounds and rebuilt her body. And now, Audi Crooks is more dominant than ever, so much so that even Sue Bird can’t take her eyes off her.

Speaking on the December 19 episode of her podcast A Touch More, Bird made it clear just how special Crooks has been this season. “Iowa State (is) having a great year because of Audi Crooks,” Bird said. “This is must-see TV right now. She is averaging more points than minutes. She’s scored 306 points in 282 minutes.”

Notably, Crooks is putting out 27.8 points in just 25.7 minutes per game. That makes her the only Division I women’s basketball player currently averaging at least one point per minute.

Even more remarkably, she’s just the second player this century, across Division I men’s or women’s basketball, the NBA, or the WNBA, to accomplish that feat in a single season.

And that’s not it.

The 6-foot-3 Iowa State center leads Division I in scoring at 27.8 points per game. Audi Crooks has a 78-game active streak of scoring in double figures, which is also the longest active streak in the country. 

She had finished in single digits once, that too during her collegiate debut back in 2023. 

Last Thursday, Audi Crooks had 30 points in a win over Iowa, marking her third straight game with at least 30 points. She’s already recorded two 40-point performances this season, including 47 points against Indiana and 43 against Valparaiso.

Additionally, Audi Crooks also tied Baylor’s Taliah Scott for the highest win shares in the nation, a metric that reflects a player’s total impact on both ends of the floor.

So, Sue Bird’s praise feels more than justified, especially because Crooks’ influence is way more than her individual stats.

What Audi Crooks Is Doing for Iowa State?

According to the latest NCAA rankings, Iowa State has climbed from No. 10 to No. 9. Last week, Iowa State won two in-state rivalry games. The Cyclones edged Iowa 74–69 and then cruised past Northern Iowa 81–53. Crooks was at the center of it all.

At the moment, however, Audi Crooks is sidelined with an injury. After scoring 30 points against the Hawkeyes, she sat out the game against the Panthers.

Now, she’s expected to return for Iowa State’s Big 12 opener this weekend. If she does, the rest of the conference and the country will be watching.

Because when Sue Bird calls you “must-see TV,” it usually means history isn’t far behind.

Written by

Yashika Dutta

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi