The Cyclone women’s basketball team is closing in on legendary status.

Is it the best team in the 24-year history of women’s basketball at Iowa State? Coaches and players say that remains to be seen.

What is certain is that ISU is closer than ever to earning its first berth in next month’s NCAA Tournament, an absurd notion just a few years ago.

Riding a five-game winning streak, including a victory over Oklahoma State Tuesday night, the Cyclones are steadily moving up the Big 12 standings. They are 16-9 overall and 9-6 in the conference. The women have already guaranteed themselves the best conference season in school history.

“If you would have told me two weeks ago that we would have won three of our last four games, I would have kissed you and said let’s go to Kansas City,” ISU Head Coach Bill Fennelly said. “I think it is amazing that we go from salvaging the season three weeks ago to talk about this. I told the kids after the game [Tuesday] that I have been in the NCAA tournament and there ain’t nothing like it.”

Minus a sluggish early season, the Cyclones would be a shoe-in for the NCAAs.

Fennelly has been to the NCAA Tournament three times since 1989 as head coach at the University of Toledo.

Still, the players say they have much left to accomplish if the NCAA Tournament is to be a reality.

“I am really excited about it,” senior guard Tara Gunderson said. “But we can’t jump ahead to it.”

The only time the Cyclones have ever posted a winning record in the conference was during the 1985-86 season, under the tutelage of Pam Wettig. Wettig’s squad finished the season with an 8-6 conference record. The Cyclones finished 19-9 overall as members of the Big Eight Conference.

Before last season, the last time the Cyclones finished with a winning record was in 1988-89. ISU went 15-13 that year. Last season, the team was 17-10 overall and 5-9 in the conference.

To qualify for the NCAAs, the Cyclones must bring up their RPI rating, which is used to balance a team’s record with strength of schedule. Members of the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee rely heavily on the rating.

“They look at how you play at the end of the season,” Fennelly said. “We have been playing pretty good. They look at how you have done in the conference and they look at your nonconference schedule. I think if we go to the conference tournament we have to win a game, maybe two.”

At next week’s Big 12 Tournament, the top four seeds receive byes in the first round. ISU could be as high as a fifth seed in the tournament and no lower than seventh. At the tournament, held in Kansas City, the fifth seed plays the 12th seed in the first round and so on. The top four seeds play the winners of those games in the second round.

A win at Colorado on Saturday would be a big help.

Looking ahead to Kansas City, Kansas is the clear favorite. The Jayhawks are leading the Big 12 standings with a 12-2 mark.

The Texas Longhorns are in second with an 11-3 mark. ISU beat Texas, then the No. 9 team in the country, in Ames Feb. 19, 74-56.

Colorado is third with a 10-4 conference mark. In January, the Buffaloes knocked off the Cyclones in double-overtime, 68-66.

Texas Tech is in fourth place at 9-5. The Red Raiders defeated ISU in Lubbock Jan. 25.

Just a half-game behind the Cyclones are Nebraska and Kansas State. The Cornhuskers have an 8-6 conference mark, but they face Kansas on the road tonight. Nebraska defeated Iowa State 76-52 in Ames on Jan. 30. But ISU beat the Cornhuskers 57-55 in Lincoln last week.

The Cyclones also split the series with the Wildcats. Kansas State claimed a 62-54 victory in Manhattan. ISU won on Feb. 15 in Ames, 54-40.

The Big 12 Tournament games will be played in Kansas City’s Municipal Auditorium. The championship game will be played Saturday, March 8.

The NCAA Tournament runs March 14-17.