Ashleigh Connor

AMES — The Iowa State Cyclones women’s basketball program has begun reshaping its roster through the transfer portal, highlighted by the addition of guard Ashleigh Connor, according to Cyclone Fanatic.

Connor, a 5-foot-11 junior guard transferring from La Salle, announced her commitment via social media. She is coming off a season in which she averaged 15.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 44% from the field, 36% from 3-point range and 80% from the free-throw line.

The addition gives Iowa State an experienced perimeter option following significant roster attrition. A large portion of the Cyclones’ roster entered the transfer portal, including several starters, leaving the program with substantial vacancies to fill ahead of the 2026-27 season.

Connor becomes one of the first confirmed incoming transfers for Iowa State this cycle, as head coach Bill Fennelly and his staff look to rebuild following the offseason departures. The portal window, which opened immediately after the NCAA Tournament, has seen widespread movement across women’s college basketball, with more than 1,000 Division I players entering shortly after it opened.

Iowa State’s roster turnover includes nine players entering the portal, underscoring the scale of the rebuild.

According to multiple sources, the Cyclones have also added three others to their roster in Gift Ezekiel (Florida), Alex-Anne Bessett (Loyola-Chicago) and Sienna Harvey (Washington).

Ezekiel is a 6-foot-1 center Gift Ezekiel who, as a junior at Florida, averaged 2.4 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. She’s expected to have one season of eligibility left.

As a 6-2 freshman at Loyola-Chicago, Bessette averaged 11.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. The native Canadian has three years of eligibility remaining.

Harvey is a 5-10 guard from the University of Washington who averaged 3.8 points and 1.7 rebounds in 10.6 minutes per game. The Australia native will have three years of eligibility remaining.