March belongs to Audi Crooks! No, seriously. Remember last year? First round, she dropped a career-high 40 points and 12 rebounds in a comeback win over Maryland. And she made history while doing it—first player in the last 25 years to put up 40 on 90% shooting in the women’s NCAA tournament. So, if you thought the magic was gone, it’s alive and kicking because our ‘Lady Shaq’ is back at it again.

The madness tipped off on Wednesday with the First Four, and Iowa State had to battle Princeton for a chance to move on and face 6-seed Michigan. There were doubts—could Crooks and Co. pull off another March run? She answered loud and clear with a “come again?”

You could see it in her eyes—the fire, the focus. She was locked in, ready to dominate. But March isn’t March without a few gut-wrenching moments, and Crooks had one that made everyone’s heart skip a beat. She went down hard, head smacking the floor with a thud that had the entire arena holding its breath.

It looked bad. Trainers rushed in, and for a moment, all eyes were on her, waiting, hoping. But if there’s one thing we know about Audi Crooks, it’s that she doesn’t back down. Not now, not ever. She shook it off, finished the game strong, and kept pushing. No further updates yet, but let’s hope she walks away from this without any lingering effects. March is no time for setbacks.

The Cyclones started strong and, well, finished even stronger. Everything in between was a rollercoaster. They took the early lead, but Princeton wasn’t here to be a background character. The Tigers stormed into the second quarter with a 10-2 run to tie the game at 20. Then, they just kept going. 

Iowa State led 18-11 after the first, but Princeton flipped the script with a 27-7 second quarter. A brutal 14-0 run to close the half gave the Tigers a 38-25 lead. Yikes. Chea and Fadima Tall had 15 and 10 points, respectively, while Iowa State had 25 first-half points and 20 of those were from Addy Brown and Crooks. They needed a spark, and fast.

The Cyclones came out swinging in the second half. A 12-4 run cut the deficit to 42-37. Brown and Crooks were absolutely unstoppable. They say basketball is a game of runs, and this game lived up to that. After Princeton torched them in the second quarter, Iowa State fired back, outscoring them in the third to take a lead. 

But Princeton wasn’t done yet. The Tigers clawed their way back in the fourth, already outscoring their third-quarter total with 10 quick points. But Iowa State matched them every step of the way. Midway through the fourth, the Cyclones clung to a 62-57 lead. They held their ground, and when the dust settled, they walked away with a 68-63 win. 

The star sophomore led the charge with 27 points and 3 rebounds, and, well, the internet was in awe- again. 

Internet once again heaps praise on Audi Crooks

One fan put it best, writing, “I showed my mom Audi Crooks, she said WOAH 😭 I had to tell her she’s looking at the future, the best to do it.” Standing at 6-3, Crooks has already drawn comparisons to none other than Shaquille O’Neal. Dominant post moves, unstoppable presence. Yes, it checks out. And when your so-called ‘off nights’ look like 18 points and 16 rebounds, it’s safe to say the ceiling is sky-high. She scored in double digits in 65 straight games as a sophomore. Imagine what’s ahead.

Another fan chimed in, highlighting yet another Crooks milestone, “With 5:35 left, Audi Crooks has 788 points on the season, tying OU’s Courtney Paris’ best season ever, which is 8th all-time in Big 12 history.” Just another day, another record in the bag. She’s been a star in the Big 12, earning First-Team honors in both her freshman and sophomore seasons, proving she’s not just a one-year wonder.

Even In this year’s NCAA Tournament alone, she ranks seventh in scoring, dropping 23.2 points per game. And if you thought she was doing this at full strength? Well… “Audi Crooks is always carrying her team on her back, and this time without being fully healthy,” one fan pointed out. 

She’s been battling injury all season, but you wouldn’t know it watching her play. The exact injury is still unknown. But what we do know is that it hasn’t stopped her. No single-digit performances. Nearly every game touching 30 or above. And against Princeton, when they fought back hard, she made sure Iowa State never trailed again, scoring 18 of her points in the second half. That’s leadership. That’s heart.

Another fan put it simply, “Audi Crooks is a machine 🔥.” The fastest player to reach 1,000 points in Iowa State history—yes, machine is the right word. Even NBA champ Kevin Garnett weighed in, calling her game “old-school fundamentals mixed with new-age dominance.” That’s the perfect description. 

And let’s not forget—back in October, ESPN had her ranked 12th among the top women’s NCAA basketball players. Safe to say, that ranking might need an update. Fans aren’t holding back either, with one declaring, “Audi Crooks is a Top 5 player in women’s college basketball. #WBB.”

And honestly? The numbers back it up. She’s been an absolute force, dropping 23.3 points per game while shooting a wild 60.2% from the field. But it’s not just about the stats—it’s the way she delivers, game after game. No off nights, no letdowns. Just pure dominance.

Now, going forward Audi Crooks and the Cyclones move on to face Michigan in the first round. And if there’s one thing we can count on, it’s that Crooks is going to give us some more ‘wow’ moments.