AMES – The Iowa State women’s basketball team will host its first game Wednesday night, showcasing a new roster and yet-to-be-determined rotations to prepare for the upcoming season.
The Cyclones welcome back six returning players after falling short in the NCAA Tournament the season prior. Building on last year’s successful season, the team will include an additional four transfers and two incoming freshmen to finish their roster.
“The biggest thing is still trying our rotations and trying to figure out how we are going to manage our point guard position,” head coach Bill Fennelly said. “The good news is that we have a lot of kids you can play. The bad news is we haven’t had enough people to step forward and take control of spots.”
Although the starting lineup for the upcoming exhibition game against Central College seems to be a work in progress according to Fennelly, there is still a lot of mobility for improvement to ensure a successful season.
“I think it’s going to change a lot,” Fennelly said. “Emily [Ryan], AJ [Arianna Jackson], Audi [Crooks] and Addy [Brown] will definitely start on Wednesday.”
With a starting lineup consisting of five players, the team is still trying to identify one standout player to make a strong impact at the beginning and appear successful.
“I think one person who has really stepped forward a little bit more is Alisa Williams,” Fennelly said. “When Lilly Taulelei got hurt, she had an opening, and she has played really, really well as a backup for [Crooks].”
Wednesday will serve as a trial run to test the players in a game setting and identify those who can perform well and minimize mistakes. With an unspecified number of rotations, Fennelly will make sure that all players receive playing time.
“We are just spinning them through, giving everyone a chance,” Fennelly said. “Everyone had a lot of opportunities to show what they can do, it’s what we have been trying to do in practice. We are just playing a lot more than we ever have because I want them all to have a chance to play.”
The Cyclones have utilized their off-season to further experiment with the rotation opportunities. Although a couple have stuck, the exhibition game will create a space for the players to sharpen their plays and skills.
“We switch up the five players every time and that’s the good thing about having a team, because that’s what we need to go for in the tournament,” Brown said. “A lot of different rotations have clicked really well, so I am excited to see who will take the court Wednesday night.”
With the addition of new players this season, different rotations will enhance the team’s chemistry and overall improve the dynamic of the Cyclones, leading to a more successful season.
“There are shooters everywhere around the court, so just knowing that you can trust someone to knock down a shot is going to be really good for us,” Jackson said. “Along with learning all the newbies and what they can do, putting them in different situations is cool to see. So it’s nice to see it all come together.”
Iowa State takes on Central College at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday from Hilton Coliseum for its exhibition game. It will not be televised.
