Audi Crooks Sends Message to Iowa State Coaches After Transfer Decision

As soon as the Iowa State Cyclones women's basketball team was bounced in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament for the second straight year, there was speculation about whether star center Audi Crooks would transfer from the program or stay at Iowa State for her senior season.

And speculation intensified once there was an exodus of Cyclones players from the program. As of April 1, nine players from the 2025-26 roster had transferred. And while Crooks hadn't been one of them yet, the writing appeared to be on the wall that she would be seeking a new program for the 2026-27 season.

Audi Crooks Announces Iowa State Transfer Decision

That's exactly what Crooks has decided to do, which she made official with an April 2 Instagram post that was captioned, "love always ♥️".

The post itself was a graphic that featured a heartfelt message from Crooks. It was headlined, "THANK YOU" and read, "Cyclone Nation,

"Thank you all for embracing me and showing up to Hilton every single game day. I've met so many of you out in the community, and 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," the post continued.

"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.

"With love and deep gratitude always, Audi Crooks #55," it concluded.

her message about the gress being greener where it's watered is a reference to her Instagram post at this time last year that announced she would be returning to Iowa State for her junior year, as there has been speculation she might transfer at that point as well.

It will be fascinating to see where Crooks ends up, and whether her decision will allow her to chase a national championship in what will be her final season of college basketball. It will also be interesting to see how Iowa State rebuilds its roster after losing nearly every player from this past campaign.