To say it’s been an interesting month for Bill Fennelly and company would be an understatement.

The Cyclones started out Big 12 play with a 3-2 record, their biggest win coming against then-No. 3 Texas at home. However, they’ve also been handed a blowout loss to Baylor and suffered a comeback loss to TCU earlier in the month.

Things just took another turn for the Cyclones and perhaps for the worst.

Sophomore guard Jadda Buckley, who suffered a stress injury in her right foot earlier in the season, has now been placed in a cast.

“In two weeks, she’ll have another evaluation,” Fennelly said. “But it’s going to be a while. Believe me, I’m not someone that hides anything from anybody. If I knew exactly what was going to happen, I’d tell you. I don’t know. I just know it’s going to be a while.”

Fennelly hopes to have a plan in place with Buckley’s situation by early February. Whether that means she will see action again this season or not remains to be seen. He also mentioned the possibility of a medical redshirt for the sophomore, but said he hasn’t made any decisions yet.

“I think that everything is a possibility right now,” Fennelly said. “It all starts with when we are told she is healthy to play. When we’re told that, then you work your way backwards … Depending on when it is, that’s when we’ll start.”

With Buckley, one of the team’s top guards, out for what Fennelly calls an extended amount of time, filling the void has become the top priority.

And so far, it seems like Nicole “Kidd” Blaskowsky is stepping up to fill Buckley’s missing shoes. The junior guard from Sugar Land, Texas has given the Cyclones a spark off the bench for the past two seasons. Now, with her in the starting line up, she doesn’t seem to be slowing down.

Blaskowsky is now averaging over nine points per game and is shooting over 40 percent from both the field and the three-point line. Against Kansas State on Jan. 17, Blaskowsky finished the game with 15 points, all coming from behind the three-point line.

“It’s definitely high right now,” Blaskowsky said about her confidence levels. “I think the main thing that’s helped me this far is just on to the next one and not getting so hard on myself about missing an open shot.”

Blaskowsky’s play hasn’t gone unnoticed, either. Fennelly says that her success has come at the right time, especially with the injuries that have plagued the team.

“Kidd has been fantastic,” Fennelly said. “We’ve asked her to do a lot and she’s doing it. Her defense is better, she’s cut down on her turnovers a little bit and we know she can score. She’s getting a lot of minutes, and she’s establishing herself as a legitimate player in our roster and that’s what you need.”

But it’s not just pure talent or skill that makes Blaskowsky good. Fennelly said it’s Blaskowsky’s love for the sport that sets her apart.

“I don’t think that there’s a kid on our roster that loves playing at Iowa State more than Kidd,” Fennelly said. “I think that you see it in the way she plays and the way she acts. I think she’s doing a lot of really good things and I think that will just continue, I really do.”

After being thrown into the starting lineup, Blaskowsky doesn’t want to just try to fill somebody else’s shoes. She says she isn’t going to let this chance slip away, but plans to take full advantage of the opportunity.

“Obviously it sucks that [Buckley] is out for a little while,” Blaskowsky said. “When we face adversity, somebody has got to step up and take that role. I think I’ve done a pretty good job this far. When opportunities are in front of you, why waste it. I was always taught that as a kid and I think it’s definitely shown now.”