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Audi Crooks NIL Asking Price in Transfer Portal Revealed

Audi Crooks is looking for a payday after announcing she will leave the Iowa State Cyclones and enter the transfer portal.
Iowa State Cyclones' center Audi Crooks (55) reacts after a score against Kansas State during the second quarter in the Big-12 conference women’s basketball on Feb. 15, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum, in Ames, Iowa.
Iowa State Cyclones' center Audi Crooks (55) reacts after a score against Kansas State during the second quarter in the Big-12 conference women’s basketball on Feb. 15, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum, in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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The Iowa State Cyclones women’s basketball team is going to look a lot different during the 2026-27 campaign than it did when their 2025-26 season came to a close.

Despite making the NCAA tournament, where they were a No. 8 seed and were eliminated by the Syracuse Orange in the Round of 64, there has been a mass exodus from the roster. Nine players have announced their intention to enter the transfer portal, including star center Audi Crooks.

Arguably the most dominant offensive player in the sport currently, Crooks shared her decision to enter the transfer portal with a message on her Instagram account. That creates a massive void for head coach Bill Fennelly and Iowa State to replace.

Now that she has made her intentions clear, reports are flowing in on the kind of money she could get as a free agent. As shared by Pete Nakos of On3 (subscription required), Crooks is seeking a significant payday in the transfer portal.

How much is Audi Crooks looking for in NIL on the transfer portal?

Iowa State Cyclones center Audi Crooks shooting jumper.
Feb 25, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones center Audi Crooks (55) shoots agains the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the first half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

“An SEC team has Crooks’ value in the $450,000 to $500,000 range, a source told On3, but expects the center to be asking for well north of the half-million mark,” Nakos wrote.

It will be interesting to see how things unfold for the Cyclones star once the portal opens on April 6, remaining open through April 20. Eligible for the 2026 WNBA Draft, Crooks could decide to turn pro if she doesn’t receive the kind of NIL offers she is seeking.

However, her focus right now is solely on finding a new program and playing out her last year of college eligibility next season.

There should be no shortage of suitors for her. Crooks is an intimidating force on the offensive end of the court, standing 6-foot-3 and overwhelming her opponents in the post.

During her junior season, she averaged a career-high 25.8 points per game. That was second in the country and led the Big 12. She made a career-best 64.9% of her shot attempts with a 65.0% effective field goal rate, both of which led the conference as well.

It was the second consecutive season that Crooks led the Big 12 in scoring, field goal percentage and 2-point field goal percentage (66.2%). She rounded out her stat line with 7.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.3 steals and 0.8 blocks in 28.8 minutes per game.

Replacing that kind of production will be no small task for the Cyclones. Their entire offensive game plan has run through Crooks for two seasons, but that will change next fall.

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Kenneth Teape
KENNETH TEAPE

Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.