The frontcourt of the Iowa State women’s basketball team may not be the part of the team that puts up the most stats, but the team will only go as far as the frontcourt takes them.

Losing one of the biggest pieces in the post in Kristin Scott will be a challenge, but the newcomers provide the Cyclones with a variety of options.

Iowa State head coach Bill Fennelly is still uncertain of how the rotation will work for this part of his team, deciding that he will approach the season planning to use a committee of posts. Fennelly said that as long as the frontcourt plays hard and smart, the team will be put into a position to win.

“Defensively, do your job according to the scouting report and rebound your position,” Fennelly said. “Offensively, do not turn the ball over and when the opportunity is there to score, score.”

Beatriz Jordão (Senior)

6-foot-3

Jordão is the most experienced player in the Iowa State frontcourt, as she played in 63 games with South Florida before transferring to Ames.

Dealing with an injury in the preseason, Jordão is beginning to practice again, putting her one step closer to her return to the court. While her injury status is unknown, Fennelly has big plans for her upon her return.

Jordão averaged 4.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 0.9 blocks with South Florida, proving that she can be a solid player for the Cyclones this season.

Morgan Kane (Redshirt Junior)

6-foot-3

As one of two frontcourt returnees, Kane is familiar with the system that Iowa State will be running.

Kane played a role on last year’s team, averaging 1.1 points per game along with 2.5 rebounds per game. She has had good moments along the way, but the biggest moment came when she recorded two points and eight rebounds against Texas A&M in the NCAA Tournament.

Expect Kane to be heavily involved in the committee of post play, especially with Jordão dealing with an injury early in the season.

Kane is expected to be the starting center as the season kicks off for Iowa State.

Nyamer Diew (Sophomore)

6-foot-2

Diew is an extremely versatile player that will likely play multiple positions in each game. 

She transferred to Iowa State from Butler after just one season in which she was able to showcase her defense. Diew averaged 5.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game during the season.

Strong defensive play is nothing new for Diew, as she averaged 3.2 blocks and 2.0 steals per game in her high school career.

Izzi Zingaro (Redshirt Freshman)

6-foot-4

Zingaro has a high ceiling as she has performed well both in Canada and internationally. 

Redshirting last season, Zingaro was only able to play in a handful of games; however, Fennelly hopes that spending the summer with Team Canada’s U19 team will help speed up her progression.

Zingaro has had a lot of success in the Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association, holding the league’s records in points and rebounds over a single season.

Maggie Vick (Freshman)

6-foot-2

Vick fits the mold of what Fennelly is looking for from the frontcourt this season, which is rebounding and playing solid defensively. She holds the records for both career rebounds and blocks at Lakeway Christian Academy in Tennessee.

Fennelly mentioned on media day that Vick should see some minutes, giving her an opportunity to prove herself in her freshman year.