Audi Crooks’ Defense Draws Fan Scrutiny After Iowa State’s First Loss
Anybody who has watched Iowa State Cyclones junior center Audi Crooks play knows that she's a force to be reckoned with on offense.
Crooks' physical power, elite footwork, and soft touch around the rim make her nearly unstoppable to guard for most college opponents. This is a huge reason why she's leading the country by nearly four full points per game (she averages 29.4) right now, and why the Cyclones have been playing like one of the country's best teams heading into 2026.
However, the biggest question about Crooks' game and whether her college success will translate to professional basketball isn't about her offense. It's about whether she can sustain the pace and conditioning it will take to keep up with the WNBA's fastest teams, and whether she can hold her ground on defense.
Crooks struggled in this aspect during the No. 10-ranked Cyclones' January 4 defeat against the No. 22-ranked Baylor Bears, which marks the first loss of Iowa State's 2025-26 season.
While Crooks succeeded on the offensive end (as shown by her tallying 26 points and 10 rebounds in 34 minutes played, her offensive production fell off a cliff in the second half, as Baylor began denying her the ball in the post. But the most glaring issue with Crooks' performance was with her defense, as she struggled with opponents who would linger along the perimeter rather than jockey for post positioning with her.
Fans Call Out Audi Crooks’ Defense After Iowa State Cyclones Loss
Fans have been quick to call Crooks' defensive woes out on social media on the wake of Sunday's loss.
"audi crooks drop defense lmfao. that’s y’all npoy candidate tho," @problemsthots wrote.
"Audi crooks is a defensive liability," added @tysonx2c.
@sonofkoom said, "I’m sorry but Audi Crooks can’t be NPOY with that trash a** defense".
"Lmfao look at the agility and defensive effort on display from Audi crooks here," wrote @JacksonLinder with a video of Crooks being late on a close out that ended with a Baylor three-point shot.
Lmfao look at the agility and defensive effort on display from Audi crooks here pic.twitter.com/YsEkwEHAQR
— Jack (@JacksonLinder) January 4, 2026
"Audi Crooks can score her a** off but her defense and rebounding is atrocious bro," said @PASS2MELO.
"Audi Crooks gets lots and lots of points and I can see why. It’s hard defending against body when they usually teach you how to defend against height.
"But is she that much of a defensive threat with her speed or lack thereof? It seems like she’s a presence but not a threat," noted @HeauxHouseOwner.
"audi crooks defense 😐😐," said @apsamar_5.
audi crooks defense 😐😐
— samar (@apsamar_5) January 4, 2026
@DubWeyer said, "...audi crooks doesn't even try to play defense. lmao".
"Audi crooks pick and roll defense is quite terrible," @justtrolllife wrote.
"Streets saying Audi Crooks is a defensive liability….," @my_man_Zo with a GIF of Denzel Washington
Streets saying Audi Crooks is a defensive liability…. pic.twitter.com/tb0e8IswBu
— Chaz Bailey (@my_man_Zo) January 4, 2026
As good as Crooks is on offense, these defensive concerns will continue to attract scrutiny as her career continues.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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