Iowa State Basketball Receives Brutal Draw in NCAA Women’s Tournament

The Iowa State Cyclones women’s basketball team ended the season on a low note, getting bounced from the Big 12 tournament in their first game against the Arizona State Sun Devils.

It was the exact opposite outcome of the men’s team, which defeated Arizona State in historic fashion when their tournament began. Fortunately for the women’s squad, the loss in the Big 12 tournament didn’t cost them a spot in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

The Cyclones earned a No. 8 seed, their seventh consecutive appearance in the tournament. However, their draw is brutal.

They landed in the region being held in Storrs, which means that should they defeat the No. 9-seeded Syracuse Orange in the Round of 64, the No. 1 overall-seeded UConn Huskies await.

Iowa State receives tough draw for 2026 NCAA Tournament

Iowa State Cyclones' women's basketball head coach Bill Fennelly reacting after call. — Iowa State Cyclones' women's basketball head coach Bill Fennelly reacts form the bench during the second quarter against Kansas State 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

Regardless of how things played out, head coach Bill Fennelly is incredibly proud of his team for earning yet another bid into the NCAA tournament.

“Could not be more proud of our team,” he said, via Emilie Zeis of Cyclone Report (subscription required). “This is the biggest day of the year for me and I love March and for Iowa State to be part of. In my mind, the greatest sport event in our country is great.”

Syracuse went 23-8 this season, with a 12-6 record during ACC competition. They are led by freshman center Uche Izoje, who averaged 15.5 points and 9.4 rebounds per game.

It will be a battle on the interior between her and Iowa State star, Audi Crooks. For the second consecutive campaign, she led the Big 12 in field goal percentage (64.7%), 2-point field goal percentage (66.1%) and points per game (25.5). She also had the best effective field goal rate at 64.9%.

“When you play an 8-9 game, you’re going to get a great team,” Fennelly said. “We’re going to get one. Don’t know a whole lot about them, but excited to have to work tonight. I know they’re going to play really, really hard, obviously… They have a freshman post player that was really good.”

For the 24th time in program history, WE’RE DANCING!!

🌪️🏀🌪️ pic.twitter.com/ukAU5HJvqV
— Cyclone Basketball (@CycloneWBB) March 16, 2026

It is human nature to look ahead, especially with the daunting task that awaits should Iowa State come away victorious. It would be one of the biggest upsets in collegiate sports history if UConn doesn’t defeat the No. 16-seeded UTSA Roadrunners.

The Huskies will be overwhelming favorites to advance, just as they are to cut down the nets at the end of the tournament. However, the Cyclones coach is focused on what lies ahead next, which is the Orange.

“This tournament is not about the next game,” Fennelly said. “We’ve always talked about the next 40 minutes forever. There’s a reason for it. You know, if you’re looking ahead at all, you’re making a huge mistake, and you’re not coaching very well and you’re not preparing very well.”

This will be the third time Iowa State has faced Syracuse in program history. The Orange were victorious in the previous two meetings, including a first-round game in the 2017 NCAA Tournament when the Cyclones were a No. 9 seed.