Iowa State Cyclones Star Audi Crooks Has Accomplished Rare Feat With Dominant Start

Audi Crooks has accomplished an incredibly rare feat with the Iowa State Cyclones women's basketball team to start the 2025-26 campaign.

Iowa State Cyclones' center (55) shoots the ball over over forward (21) during the first quarter on Nov. 12, 2025, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The college basketball season is off to a strong start for the Iowa State Cyclones in both men’s and women’s basketball.

Neither team has lost yet, receiving incredible contributions from their star players. On the men’s side, it is senior Tamin Lipsey leading the way, looking no worse for wear after suffering a knee injury in the lead-up to the regular season.

For the women’s team, it is Audi Crooks leading the way. She could be the most dominant player in the sport right now, making some incredible history at the start of the 2025-26 campaign.

Audi Crooks making basketball history with dominant performances

Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As shared by Rachel Galligan on X, the Iowa State star has become only the second player in Division I men’s or women’s basketball, the NBA or WNBA this century to score at least 25 points per game while making at least 75% of their shots over the course of the first five games of a season.

The only other player to accomplish this feat was Blake Griffin, who did it with the Oklahoma Sooners at the beginning of the 2008-2009 season. His streak came to an end when he dropped below the 75% shooting threshold in the sixth game of the year, going 5-of-13 against the Purdue Boilermakers.

FUN FACT: Audi Crooks is one of two DI (men’s or women’s), NBA or WNBA players this century to average at least 25.0 points per game and a 75.0 field goal percentage through five games of a season.

The other was a Big 12 legend - Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin (2008-09).@OptaSTATS… pic.twitter.com/Pxi5E659mm

— Rachel Galligan (@RachGall) November 18, 2025

Will Crooks be able to keep her impressive streak going and reach a plateau all to herself? Certainly, no one is going to bet against her with how dominant she has looked through the first five contests.

Audi Crooks producing at levels never before reached

Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In the Cyclones' most recent game, she didn’t miss a shot, going 8-for-8 from the field, scoring 19 points in only 25 minutes of playing time. She also pulled down 10 rebounds to go along with four assists and five steals.

In the game before that, Crooks had one of the most impressive individual performances in basketball history. She played only 20 minutes but scored 43 points against a Valparaiso Beacons team that was no match for her.

Thus far this season, she is making 76.1% of her shot attempts. Her scoring average of 26.4 points per game, which leads the Big 12, is being buoyed somewhat by an impressive improvement at the foul line, where she is up to 72.7% after making only 67.2% her first two seasons in Ames.

What makes her performances all the more impressive is that she is doing it in such a small amount of time. Crooks is averaging only 25 minutes per game, overwhelming opponents in rapid fashion each time she steps on the court.