Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Audi Crooks, Iowa State's top scorer, has entered the transfer portal, leaving a major void for the Cyclones.
- Several high-profile programs could position themselves to attract Crooks with promises of immediate impact roles, including USC and rival Iowa.
- The outcome will significantly reshape the competitive balance in women's college basketball this upcoming season.
The transfer portal always adds some extra chaos to each NCAA offseason. This year is shaping up to be no different. Just this past week, several women's college basketball stars entered the transfer portal, including Penn State's Kiyomi Miller, NC State's Zam Jones and Princeton's Madison St. Rose. Now, Iowa State's best player has joined the transfer portal party — Audi Crooks announced she will not return.
Crooks joins the likes of other Iowa State stars like Addy Brown, Jada Williams, and a few more who will not be returning to Iowa State next season. Crooks is by far the biggest name to hit the portal, and the biggest hit to the Cyclones. This season, she was second in the nation in scoring, averaging 25.8 points per game. She closed the season shooting 64.9 percent from the field. She's one of, if not the most, dominant post players in the NCAA right now.
She took to social media to announce her decision. Crooks stated, "I still believe the grass is greener where you water it, and I've done that here... I have decided to enter the portal and explore what it means to take root again in new ground." Technically, Crooks could have declared for the 2026 WNBA Draft, but has elected to use her last year of NCAA eligibility.
So, where will that new ground be for Audi Crooks? Let's take a look at a few options.
USC
It's no secret that this year was sort of just a bridge for the Trojans. Next year, I believe they will be an entirely different team. Juju Watkins will return from her ACL injury and join freshman Jazzy Davidson, who had an incredible debut season. USC also landed 5-star Sara Okeke from the 2026 recruiting class. This would be a great option for someone like Crooks, who has spent the last couple of years having to do it all for her team at times. With other growing talents flourishing around her, the success would come her way.
Michigan
Audi Crooks is from Iowa, so there's a good possibility she will want to stay relatively close to home. Michigan wouldn't be a horrible choice if that's the case. The Wolverines had a great year, advancing to the Elite Eight before falling to Texas. With their dominant success this season, sophomores Syla Swords and Olivia Olson showed that Michigan will most likely be back in title contention next year. The Wolverines are a guard-heavy team. I believe they could use someone with the in-the-paint presence that Audi Crooks would bring.
UCLA
The Bruins have six players who will most likely be drafted to the WNBA. Their entire starting five is made up of seniors. This means that targeting some of the big transfer portal names is inevitable. We know UCLA doesn't necessarily want to spend a year rebuilding. Right now, Lauren Betts is their primary source of dominance in the post. With Betts not around next season, I could absolutely see UCLA going after someone like Audi Crooks in the portal. Crooks and Betts definitely have some differences in playing styles — but there are also similarities in Crooks style and UCLA's gameplay. There's also just no one else like Crooks available.
Iowa
Now this one would obviously be the most dramatic option. But we've seen players transfer to their rival schools before. It would also be a great thing for the Hawkeyes. Iowa loves to play in the paint and with one of their primary post players, Hannah Stuelke, graduating, Crooks could slide right into the system. Again, Crooks is also from Iowa — only about three and a half hours from the University of Iowa. So while it could be looked at as controversial, it would be another way for her to stay close to home.