Audi Crooks Makes Big 12 History Dominating for Iowa State Cyclones

The Big 12 record books have been re-written by Iowa State Cyclones star Audi Crooks.

Iowa State Cyclones' center Audi Crooks (55) looks for drive to the basket as Arizona Wildcats forward Nora Francois (13) defends during the third quarter in the Big-12 women’s basketball on Jan. 24, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones women’s basketball team got off to an incredible start and has been must-watch television, but it all came to a screeching halt.

After winning their first 14 games of the season and being ranked as high as No. 10 in the AP Poll Top 25, they hit a rough patch. The Cyclones would lose five games in a row, dropping them from the rankings and plummeting in the Big 12 standings.

However, they have gotten things back on track recently. Iowa State has climbed back to the .500 mark in conference, defeating the No. 21-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders on the road in Lubbock, 84-70.

Leading the way for the Cyclones was none other than center Audi Crooks. Entering the contest, she was averaging 26.3 points per game, which was the most in the country. That number has only gone up after another monster offensive performance.

Audi Crooks makes Big 12 history with scoring prowess

Iowa State Cyclones' center Audi Crooks (55) looks for a shot around Cincinnati Bearcats forward Alliance Ndiba (25) during the first quarter in the Big-12 women’s basketball on Jan. 21, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Texas Tech had no answer for her on the interior. She scored a game-high 33 points, shooting 13 of 19 from the field. Fouling her was no use either, as Crooks knocked down all seven of her free throw attempts.

That performance ended up being historic. She now has 2,016 points scored in his collegiate career. As shared by ESPN Insights on X, that makes her the fastest to the 2000-point plateau in Big 12 history.

It took Crooks only 89 games to reach 2000 points scored. That surpassed the record that was previously held by Courtney Paris of the Oklahoma Sooners, who accomplished the feat in 94 games.

That beat the record held by Brittany Griner of the Baylor Bears, who did it in 95 games. They are the only three players to reach that plateau in double-digit games. Andrea Riley of the Oklahoma State Cowboys was the original record holder with 101 games played.

Audi Crooks breaks the record for fewest games played to reach 2000 points in Big 12 history 👏

🏀 Audi Crooks (89)
🏀 Courtney Paris (94)
🏀 Brittney Griner (95)
🏀 Andrea Riley (101) pic.twitter.com/VRku2F2Iz7

— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) January 29, 2026

Crooks has scored 559 points and counting thus far this season and has 2,016 in her career. After leading women’s basketball in total points during the 2024-25 season, she is on pace to do so again this year.

Should she return for a fourth season at Iowa State, should would have a chance to cement her status as one of the all-time greatest scorers in women’s college basketball history. If Crooks can avoid injury, the 3000-point plateau would be well within reach next season.

That is a mark only 16 women’s basketball players have ever reached. Crooks could certainly become the 17th if she keeps up the current scoring pace that she is on, making history earlier in the season as well.