In the Cyclone of players that moved out of Iowa State, Audi Crooks is undoubtedly the biggest name. “I still believe the grass is greener where you water it, and I’ve done that here,” she wrote. “It’s why I want you to hear from me directly that I have decided to enter the transfer portal and explore what it means to take root again in new ground.” Looking for a better fit in a team with title aspirations, Candace Parker has just dropped the ideal destination for Crooks.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
The 6-foot-3 center led the Big 12 in scoring each of the past two seasons and ranked second in college basketball with 25.8 points per game while shooting 64.9% from the floor in 2025-26. She added 7.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. But the main concern for Crooks is her defense. Her defensive box plus/minus of 1.3 ranks as one of the lowest among centers, it looks even worse if you further filter it among high majors. So, which team can extract the most out of Crooks, who is leaning towards offense? For Parker its Notre Dame and Hannah Hidalgo.
“I like Notre Dame because I think Coach Ivey will know what to do with her in the pick-and-roll,” Parker said on the Post Moves podcast. “There are some deficiencies on the defensive end, but when you have someone like Hannah who can cover things up, she doesn’t have to do anything in a pick and roll because Hannah can get over, under, around, or through, whatever. So I think that might make things interesting.”
Top Stories
Hannah Hidalgo won the Defensive player of the Year award after breaking an NCAA single-season record for steals as a junior with 202. She led Division I in steals per game (5.6) and was third in scoring average (25.2). Hidalgo is the best point guard in the nation, per many, including UConn boss Geno Auriemma. She recently confirmed that “she’s running it back” with Coach Niele Ivey next season.
“There’s so many areas of growth left for me on the court,” Hidalgo said. “Just working on creating space, being able to finish over taller players. And then in the WNBA, they’re all bigger, they’re stronger, they’re more athletic, they’re more talented. So, it’s about upping my game, just trying to prepare as much as I can. Building my muscle, getting stronger.”
Notre Dame lacked a true center and scorer to accompany Hidalgo this past year. They shot 37.9% in the paint (non-rim), which was below the national average. However, they did shoot 64.7% around the rim. But Ivey lacked a body in the center. Crooks solves many problems for Notre Dame and elevates them to another level. In addition, fans tracking her social media activity noticed that Crooks is now following the Irish, fueling the rumors further.
But that is only on the offense. Her defense remains a major liability because it is virtually nonexistent. The Irish play team defense under Ivey and they need effort from everyone. But she also needs creativity and a center who can run the floor. So, there are pros and cons to this Audi Crooks-Notre Dame deal. According to a report from On3, there is “no truth to Irish interest in Audi Crooks.”
However, situation could change as the portal goes on. Ultimately, only Crooks knows which way she is trending. Regardless, whichever school she chooses, there should be one factor on the back of her mind.
Audi Crooks Needs To Flip The Switch If WNBA Is Her Destination
The 2027 WNBA draft is far away. Yet, one thing is certain: the class is impressive to say the least. Juju Watkins is in the running to be No. 1, and so are Hannah Hidalgo, Mikaylah Williams and Madison Booker. There is the international 7’4 center Zhang Ziu as well. Others, such as MiLaysia Fulwiley and Mikayla Blakes, could be early first-rounders as well. To stand out among this group, Audi Crooks will need to move away from her current style.
Like we discussed, Crooks is a pretty one-dimensional player. Her defense is severely lacking while her offense is very impressive. But even the way she scores her points while going forward is very limited. She scores in and around the paint. This past season she went for 0.4 3-pointers per game. But she does not even go for those mid-range shots. She only had 8.3% of her shots from the midrange this past season.
In addition, Crooks lacks the athleticism and agility to make her own shot. She is not quick enough to get transition buckets. Because of that, teams often cut off the passing lanes and force her to move around and cut swiftly. There are many areas where Crooks needs to improve. But she has the talent to do so. She currently manipulates her defenders quite well and is quick on her feet when it comes to one-on-one in the paint. If she gets to the right team, her 2027 draft stock will only rise.
