Beating then-No. 3 Texas at Hilton Coliseum is one thing, but going down to Austin, Texas, and pulling off the season sweep against the now-No. 8 Longhorns is a beast of a different kind.

After beating Texas a few weeks ago, the Cyclones will have a little more confidence this time around against the top-10 team.

“I think it just shows us that they are beatable,” said Brynn Williamson. “The mindset that we had going into the [last] game [against Texas] is that we had nothing to lose and no one expected us to win and I think [this time] it’s going to be the same thing.”

A major concern for the Cyclones going in to the game will be the health of point guard Nikki Moody, who sprained her ankle in the Cyclones last game against TCU.

Moody was a huge factor in the first matchup with Texas, as she poured in 17 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in the upset effort.

ISU coach Bill Fennelly said Moody is day-to-day at this point, but that he would be “surprised if she didn’t play.” He also mentioned that she would be somewhat limited due to the injury.

The Cyclones other point guard, Jadda Buckley, is still out with a lingering stress injury, meaning if the pain is too much for Moody to be a factor, Iowa State could be in some trouble.

Fennelly said Nakiah Bell and Nicole “Kidd” Blaskowsky would share the point guard load if Moody is unable to play, though he expressed concern if that is the route the Cyclones are forced to take.

“Our third-stringer is not Cardale Jones,” Fennelly said in reference to Ohio State’s third string quarterback, who was forced into the starting lineup due to injuries and helped the Buckeyes win a national championship this year.

Texas is dealing with injury issues of their own after star forward Nneka Enemkpali tore her ACL in the Longhorns previous game. Enemkpali, who leads the Longhorns in scoring at 12.4 points per game and rebounding at 10.4 rebounds per game, is out for the remainder of the season.

“Obviously losing Nneka [Enemkpali] is a huge loss for that team,” Fennelly said. “She’s a great player. It’s bad for Texas … but now they are down to 13 high school All-Americans.”

Fennelly was referencing the talent and depth that remains on the Longhorn’s roster even with Enemkpali’s injury.

Without Enemkpali, Texas still has five players who are six feet or taller, which presents a big challenge for the Cyclones. Iowa State doesn’t have as much size or experience in the post.

“I don’t know that it’s ever on paper or whatever a great matchup with Texas,” Fennelly said.

The Cyclones will rely on 6-foot-5-inch true freshman Bryanna Fernstrom to carry the load in the post and combat the Longhorns front court players.

Fernstrom, who is coming off an 18-point outing against TCU, is still adjusting to the size and physical play that comes with playing in the Big 12. The Texas bigs will help expedite that learning curve.

“I got blocked last game, which was kind of a first for me,” Fernstrom said. “I’ve never really played against anyone my height before [this season].”

Regardless of matchup problems and injury issues, the Cyclones will head to Austin, Texas, with confidence knowing they beat the Longhorns just a few short weeks ago.

They will look to repeat that feat, this time on the road, which presents a bevy of other challenges. It’s no secret that Iowa State teams tend to play well at Hilton, but can the Cyclones pull off an upset on the road too?

“We always talk about when we go on the road nothing changes except the color of our jersey,” Williamson said, though she acknowledged the difficulties being on the road brings.

The Cyclones will take on the Longhorns at 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 25 in Austin, Texas.