In 24 years of women’s basketball at Iowa State, it’s never been this exciting.

And it’s pretty exciting.

For the first time ever, the women’s team has a chance to make the NCAA Tournament. And even if it doesn’t, the women deserve a hearty congratulations for a fantastic season and a turn-around that’s nothing short of amazing.

The Cyclones, sitting at 16-9 overall and 9-6 in the conference, have already assured fans of their best conference showing in school history. With a little luck, they’ll make history on the national level next month at the tournament.

Often in the shadow of the more high-profile men’s team, the women have made phenomenal strides since Head Coach Bill Fennelly took over last year. In Fennelly’s first season, the Cyclones posted their first winning record since the mid-80s at 17-10. Double-digit wins at Iowa State have been unheard of for most of the program’s history.

What’s more, the women’s season is a model of triumph over adversity. Minus a sluggish start, we could have booked our flights to the NCAA Tournament. That would have been cool. It’s too bad the women’s Big 12 Tournament, held in Kansas City, is scheduled during the week. That would have been an easy trip, a fun trip.

And there’s other cool stuff, too. There’s the votes the Cyclones are getting in the Top 25 poll. There’s the talented group of seniors that make up the backbone of the team. And there’s Fennelly himself.

He’s a neat guy. He’s a winner.

We wish the Cyclone women the best of luck this weekend against Colorado and in their post-season tournaments.

They’ve already proven a lot.