With three spots left to fill for the 2024-25 season, the Iowa State women’s basketball team came two steps closer to filling out the roster. Lily Hansford of Oregon State and Lilly Taulelei from UMass both committed to Iowa State on Sunday.
Hansford hit the transfer portal following an Elite Eight run at Oregon State. The Beavers will play in the West Coast Conference next season following the disbanding of the Pac 12.
Hansford visited Ames the previous week and also received an offer from Miami, but in the end, chose to become a Cyclone.
In two seasons with the Beavers, Hansford played 59 games and started in four, averaging 15.4 minutes per game. Playing time increased from year one to year two by nearly five minutes.
This past season, the 6-foot-2 guard averaged 5.1 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. Hansford shot 43.9% from the field and 44.9% from 3-point range as a sophomore.
The Green Bay, Wisconsin, native will be another contributor from beyond the arc for the Cyclones. Hansford’s best game came against Utah on Jan. 28, shooting 4-for-4 from three and scoring a season-high 12 points.
UMass center Taulelei announced a commitment to Iowa State after spending one season with the Minutewomen. The New Zealand native played in 31 of the 32 games for UMass and started 22 times.
The 6-foot-3 center was a powerhouse inside and shot 45.3% from the field and 50% or higher from the floor in 15 games. Taulelei averaged 6.7 points and 2.5 rebounds per game while averaging 24.2 minutes.
Taulelei scored double-digit points in six games, with a career-high of 14 coming against Maryland, which she would later match against Dayton. She grabbed her top rebound total of 10 against VCU.
Taulelei will join Audi Crooks as a center for Iowa State. It was uncertain who would replace Isnelle Natabou after she entered the transfer portal, but Taulelei will be the one to back up Crooks inside.
Iowa State now has 12 of its 13 roster spots filled for the 2024-25 season. The transfer portal will close soon, so time is of the essence to secure a final player.
