AMES – In the upcoming 2025 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, No. 11 Iowa State will compete against No. 11 Princeton for a play-in game to advance to the first round of the tournament at 5 p.m. CT Wednesday.
The Cyclones sit with a 22-11 overall record, putting them in the region of the bracket where Texas took home the number one seed.
“Definitely blessed to get the opportunity that other teams do not get, thrilled,” sophomore center Audi Crooks said.
“The seeding has nothing to do with anything; to be a part of the NCAA Tournament is the best thing ever,” Iowa State head coach Bill Fennelly said. “So proud of our team, to hear your name getting called says a lot about them, says a lot about our school.”
Iowa State will play Princeton, an 11-seed with a 21-7 overall record, in one of the first four games of the NCAA Tournament on Wednesday. If the Cyclones defeat the Tigers, they will face No. 6 Michigan in the first round of the tournament on Friday in South Bend, Indiana.
“Our expectation honestly is to just go about things the Iowa State way and just continue to play the basketball games that we play regardless of the stage or the number next to our name,” Crooks said. “It doesn’t really matter, it’s a nameless, faceless opponent but in March anything can happen, but I think we might shock some people like we did last year.”
Iowa State will play in the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in a row; the last missed tournament was in 2018 due to COVID-19.
Now marking their 23rd appearance, the Cyclones are excited and ready for the upcoming games heading their way, as they believe they have much to offer and don’t take this opportunity lightly.
“It’s just that approach of you show up or you don’t, and I think one of the big things is if you can’t get up and get excited to play in March Madness, I mean there’s a lot of issues there,” senior guard Emily Ryan said. “It’s just an excitement and a matter of pride to represent this university the right way and to take advantage of the opportunity that you’re given because as much as you want to believe it, it’s not something you can guarantee is going to happen every year.”
As the lone senior graduating later this year, Ryan has made the NCAA Tournament for all five years she has played at Iowa State.
“It feels old,” Ryan said. “It makes me feel very old, but just really grateful and honestly really glad because that means Iowa State has made it to five in a row, and that’s what’s most important.”
“I am excited to say Emily Ryan has played in five consecutive NCAA Tournaments,” Fennelly said. “It’s hard to beat that.”
Marking Ryan’s last couple of games with the team, the Cyclones tend to send her out on the right foot and leave Iowa State with another strong memory.
“Thinking about that now, that’s just super sad,” Crooks said. “Just knowing what she has been able to do over the course of these five years at Iowa State, we are super proud of her and blessed to even be wearing the same jersey as her and at the same time. So, definitely want to send her off in the right way.”
