Timing seems to be on the side of the ISU women’s basketball team.

Nikki Moody — who became the all-time assist leader in ISU history last season — graduated last year, and backup Nakiah Bell transferred to Southern Illinois. The departures left a significant gap in the ISU offensive lineup.

Although the transfer of Bell may have seemed untimely considering the graduation of Moody, a third factor — one that worked in the favor of the Cyclones — has been re-introduced.

“Jadda Buckley will be the point guard [this season],” said ISU women’s basketball coach Bill Fennelly. “Jadda’s had a good off-season.”

Buckley, a redshirt sophomore, started in seven of the nine games she appeared in last season before being sidelined with a stress injury to her right foot. The injury kept Buckley off the court for the remainder of the season, eventually resulting in a medical redshirt to extend her eligibility.

Buckley used her skills in the off-guard position, while Moody filled the point guard spot, notching 10.9 points per game and a unanimous selection to the Big 12 All-Freshman team in her first year as a Cyclone. 

Although she has experience at the point guard position, Buckley was not automatically considered to be Moody’s replacement, especially considering the season-ending injury.

Based on her offseason improvements, however, Fennelly made it clear that Buckley will be at the helm of his offense this season.

“This is the first year in a long time where we don’t have an incumbent point guard that, you know, is really, really good,” Fennelly said. “I honestly believe Jadda Buckley could be the next one.”

As Buckley can attest, she has multiple adjustments still to make as she transitions into this more prominent role in the offense. She not only hasn’t seen in-game action for more than nine months, but she also has a new position to master and a relatively new team around her — with seven of the 12 players being underclassmen.

Buckley, despite these potential setbacks, said she is ready and excited to assume this new position. After nine months of rest and offseason training, she is ready to take the court once again wherever she is needed.

“I’m obviously really excited about [playing point guard],” Buckley said. “Having last year [on the sideline], I could kind of watch the point guard position from a different standpoint, so I think that was a big help.”

As many people might consider a spot on the bench in a negative light, Buckley recognized it as an opportunity to learn and she is reaping those benefits as she prepares for this upcoming season.

Buckley used the majority of her time off the court to study the habits and play of Moody and other point guards on the floor — gaining a fresh perspective on her future position.

With nearly an entire season of observing from the sideline under her belt, Buckley now feels like she has gained a greater grasp of her role for the season — something that she said she wouldn’t have been able to fully understand while on the court.

“[I was able to see] what coach sees that we don’t necessarily see on the court,” Buckley said. “When coach was telling us, ‘Hey, look for that reverse pass,’ or ‘Pivot and look behind you,’ I think I was able to see what he was actually saying by watching it rather than being in the shoes [on the court].”

Buckley will have help running the point this season as players like sophomore Emily Durr and senior Nicole “Kidd” Blaskowsky will continue to aid in bringing the ball up court.

On top of that, two of three freshman — TeeTee Starks and Bridget Carleton — are guards who have already received public praise from Fennelly.

Regardless, Fennelly made it clear on media day that Buckley will be taking the reins of the ISU offense — doing her best to continue the trends of the point guards before her.

“[Buckley’s] healthy now,” Fennelly said. “[Point guard is] her job right now. It’s her team to lead, and I have great confidence that she can do that.”