With less than a month until the start of the season, Iowa State women’s basketball head coach Bill Fennelly and players Emily Ryan and Nyamer Diew took the stage at the Big 12 Media Day to discuss the upcoming season.
The Cyclones are coming off a historic season where they finished the season with a 22-10 record while picking up a Big 12 title along the way. Iowa State lived up to preseason expectations and exceeded them as the Cyclones looked dominant all season long.
Winning the Big 12 Championship was also bittersweet for the team, as that was the last season that the tournament was being held in Municipal Auditorium.
“I thought it was a great way for Iowa State that’s been such a big part of this tournament at Municipal to close that building for this tournament,” Fennelly said. “Ashley Joens is arguably one of the greatest collegiate players ever, so it was a great way for her to end her career.”
Joens was electric during the tournament, being named the Most Outstanding Player for her efforts. Joens ended her illustrious Cyclone career on the highest note she could have.
That made the win even more bittersweet for Fennelly, as he was proud to see one of the greatest Cyclones he has ever coached win a Big 12 crown before she moved on. However, it was tough for him to see her go.
Fennelly was still happy he could bring his team to the promised land, as the title gave him proof of the fruits of their labor.
“It was truly something I’ll never ever forget,” Fennelly said. “That trophy’s in my office, and no one’s ever gonna take that away from us.”
Going forward, the Cyclones will not have a cakewalk if they want to repeat their success from last season. Fennelly has made it a point to set his team up for success, and that starts with giving them competition from the jump.
The Big 12 is a tough conference to get wins in, so teams will have to bring their A-game from the start of the conference season. If the Cyclones can get experience against tough non-conference opponents, they should be better prepared for their Big 12 opponents ahead.
“We always try to play a lot of different styles in the non-conference because our league is so different,” Fennelly said.
Getting experience handling different playstyles will benefit the team in the long run. With the addition of more teams to the conference, the Big 12 is ready to be more competitive than ever.
Even with the new members, Fennelly is not too worried about the competition. He knows what his team can accomplish, so he is just worried about going out and competing.
“I used to really worry about where, who, when,” Fennelly said. “Now, it’s like I don’t really care. Here’s 18, nine at home, nine on the road. We’ll play when we’re supposed to.”
One thing is for sure though: the Cyclones will be one of the youngest teams in the Big 12. After the Big 12 Championship win, the Cyclones lost a majority of their starting roster.
Joens moved onto the WNBA, while Lexi Donarski, Denae Fritz and Morgan Kane all entered the transfer portal. The Cyclones also added a new freshmen class that was filled with talent.
“We’ll probably be the least experienced team, for sure in the Big 12, and maybe one of the least experienced teams in the country,” Fennelly said.
The only two returning players that had any major game time were Ryan and Diew. Ryan was a huge component in the Cyclones’ success over the last two seasons as she acted as a leader on the floor.
Ryan had over 200 assists in the last two seasons and played nearly every minute she could. Diew was also a major factor in Iowa State’s Big 12 Championship win, as she provided the spark and fire when the team needed it.
“I’ve said this before: Emily Ryan’s the greatest leader I’ve ever been around,” Fennelly said. “She does it every day, all day. She epitomizes we over me. [Diew]’s done a great job of following in her in that. We’re really lucky to have them.”
Going forward, both Ryan and Diew have to be the mentors to the younger players. They have the experience; they just have to pass on the winning mentality that helped them dominate the 2022-23 season.
“I think the biggest thing is just focus on winning every single day,” Ryan said.
For Ryan and the rest of the team, winning every single day does not mean just at practice. That means getting down good habits and continually growing on and off the court.
The team knows if they want to be at their best, they have to work hard. Diew mentioned that to be at their peak in front of a roaring Hilton crowd, the team has to put in the time and effort. They have to go through the dark to “shine in the light.”
“You have to work hard in the dark because in the light, there will be so many people there,” Diew said.
The main goal for the upcoming season is to repeat the success from the past. Since the team has seen what it can do, it is more motivated to continue that winning tradition.
“A basketball season is a long season,” Ryan said. “There’s a lot of ups, and there’s a lot of downs. So, just trying to ride the waves of those and trying to stay steady is gonna be important for us.”
