AMES — Iowa State women’s basketball had a pair of players earn preseason Big 12 Conference honors while the Cyclones appeared second on the preseason coaches’ poll, announced by the league Thursday.

Audi Crooks was named the conference’s Preseason Player of the Year after leading the Big 12 in scoring average a season ago, posting 23.4 points per game on 60.5 percent shooting from the floor.

The Algona native represented Team USA at the FIBA AmeriCup this summer, helping capture the gold medal in Chile. Crooks is the fourth Cyclone to be named the league’s Preseason Player of the Year and the first since Ashley Joens in 2022.

The 6-foot-3 center started all 35 contests as a sophomore and set the ISU single-season records for scoring (820) and made field goals (329). Crooks finished the year as an AP and USBWA Third Team All-American while earning unanimous first-team All-Big 12 honors.

Addy Brown joined Crooks on the Preseason All-Big 12 Team, her first preseason honor from the league after earning second-team All-Big 12 status a season ago.

Brown is one of three returning NCAA Division I women’s basketball players to average at least 15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists last season. The Derby, Kan., native is the only player in program history to record at least 400 points, 250 rebounds and 150 assists in a single season and has exceeded the marks in each of her first two seasons as a Cyclone.

Brown, a 6-2 forward, has started all 68 games for Iowa State in the last two years and has recorded 18 double-doubles with 16 career 20-point games. She posted 41 points against Arizona State in the second round of the Big 12 Championship, an Iowa State tournament record.

Big 12 Conference

Preseason Player of the Year

Audi Crooks, Iowa State

Preseason All-Big 12 Team

(* unanimous selection)

Addy Brown, Iowa State

Audi Crooks, Iowa State*

Bella Fontleroy, Baylor

Delaney Gibb, BYU*

Jordan Harrison, West Virginia

Stailee Heard, Oklahoma State*

Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, Baylor*

Jade Masogayo, Colorado

Olivia Miles, TCU*

S’Mya Nichols, Kansas*