Audi Crooks Outlines What She Wants From Next Team After Transfer
On April 2, former Iowa State Cyclones star center Audi Crooks announced her intention to transfer out of the program she has played for the past three seasons in search of another school to conclude her NCAA career.
In the Instagram post she made detailing this decision, Crooks wrote, "I will cherish all of the genuine connections that I've built during my time at Iowa State. Words cannot fully express how grateful I feel to have called this place home. I want to thank my teammates for their friendship and all the great memories. To my coaches and all the Iowa State staff, thank you for always supporting me.
"I still believe the grass is greener where you water it, and I've done that here. It's why I want you to hear from me directly that I have decided to enter the portal and explore what it means to take root again in new ground," it added.
Ever since this announcement (which felt inevitable, given how Iowa State's season ended), fans and media have been discussing which teams might be the best fit for her. Candace Parker cited Notre Dame as an appealing option, and there are plenty of other elite schools that would seem like a win-win situation for Crooks.
Audi Crooks Explains What She’s Looking For in Next Team After Iowa State Transfer
While Crooks hasn't made her decision yet, she seems to have a clear indication of what she's looking for in her next school. She conveyed this during an April 18 interview with Natalie Esquire and Terrika Foster-Brasby of NBC Sports.
"Absolutely. I'm looking for culture, number one, first and foremost, somewhere with good people. You can be a good basketball player, but good quality people, good character, and great personalities is number one," Crooks said, per an X post from Esquire.
"Number two, somewhere with some shooters. I need a little help from the outside to be an inside-outside threat type of team, and a dual threat team. And number three, somewhere that is gonna push me, push me hard, and develop me into who I want to be when my name is called, hopefully, here in New York [at the WNBA Draft]," Crooks added.
Audi Crooks is still deciding where she will transfer, but she does know what she’s looking for in her next team.
— Natalie Esquire (@natfluential) April 18, 2026
Full interview 👉🏾 https://t.co/C7bpxjHXfK pic.twitter.com/s5vCVK5Ssl
Ultimately, whichever team Crooks decides to play for should become an immediate championship contender next season. And Crooks deserves that after the three seasons she spent at Iowa State.
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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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