It wasn’t long ago when Iowa used to cheer for a certain star: Caitlin Clark. Clark took the basketball world by storm at Iowa, making the name ‘CC’ synonymous with Iowa. However, just a couple of years later, a veteran ESPN commentator has hinted that a second WBB standout is on the rise, not just for on-court heroics but for a much broader perspective.

Speaking on the Yahoo Sports Daily podcast, commentator Holly Rowe shed light on Iowa State Cyclones star Audi Crooks. Rowe spoke of Crooks’ work towards Iowa communities through her Audi Crooks Foundation, suggesting the immense impact that the latter has on the state.

“Allstate Good Works team is made up of 20 student athletes,” Rowe said. “There were hundreds of applications from colleges around the country, and they narrowed it down to 20 people. This is really focused on what they are doing on the court. Well, on the court, Audi Crooks is leading the nation in scoring for much of this season. Offcourt she is making sure that food is being delivered to people with food insecurity in her Iowa community. She’s donating to the Boys and Girls Club.”

Crooks established her foundation last year. And since then, she has been on a mission to serve the underserved children with educational access and expose them to sports. Moreover, her foundation runs the Knock N Dash program, which delivers food to the doorstep. It earned Crooks a spot on the Allstate Good Works team as one of the collegiate athletes honored for their role outside of their sport. Rowe further highlighted it and shared Iowa State head coach Bill Fennelly’s mind-boggling revelation.

“She’s a very interesting lady of the court and on the court,” Rowe added. “And what she’s doing in her community, I got to go out there and surprise her as the team captain of this year’s All State Good Works team, and I was talking to their coach Bill Fennelly, and he was like, “We don’t have pro sports in Iowa, and she’s the biggest star in Iowa right now.”

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To a certain extent, Fennelly’s assessment is not unjustified. In addition to community service, Crooks is also one of the team’s most formidable scorers. The Cyclones center has led her team in points in each of her three seasons. Averaging 25.3 per game this season, she is the second-highest point scorer in the nation.

All in all, Crooks is to Cyclones what Caitlin Clark was to the Iowa Hawkeyes: a franchise player. It’s always a subjective topic on whether Crooks has the same impact as Clark in Iowa. After all, CC’s career accomplishments are extraordinary, too, with the Hawkeyes. NCAA Championship finals, Wade Trophy, and Honda Awards are some of the few accolades of Clark.

Moreover, the immense impact that Clark has had on the Iowa communities is not debatable. The Indiana Fever star has strived to help the communities through associations with Coralville Food Pantry and the Boys and Girls Club to raise funds for the underserved. Moreover, with Clark’s strong footing currently in Indiana with the Fever, Crooks might be the exact successor that Iowa wanted.

For now, Audi Crooks continues her march with the Iowa State Cyclones in the 2025-26 season.

What’s Next for Audi Crooks in Her Iowa State Career?

Having qualified for the National Championships in their last four seasons, Iowa State entered the season with a potential March Madness ceiling. However, as reality set in, that ceiling is a long way off. Audi Crooks’ team currently stands 3rd in the NET rankings, with just two Quad 1 wins.

To break into the top 25, the Cyclones are in desperate need of wins. Led by Crooks and Jada Williams, the team has put its foot on the gas, clinching six wins in their last seven games. However, for their National Championships qualification, they depend heavily on the other teams ahead of them. They have four remaining games in their regular season, including one against No.12 TCU.

The team’s immediate concern is Arizona State on Wednesday. The Cyclones enter the game with an 86.4% chance of victory. It will be a routine appearance for Crooks and co. as per the odds.

Can Crooks and co. continue their winning momentum and give themselves a chance for March Madness against ASU? Do let us know in the comments.