Things really haven’t been going Iowa State’s way in Big 12 play. Currently, Bill Fennelly struggles post a continued tough road loss to Cincinnati on Wednesday night by 71–63. It was well evident how Iowa State had a hard time finding any rhythm offensively. They shot just 35.8 percent from the floor, while Cincinnati knocked down close to 50 percent of its shots!

And to make matters worse, the situation has been compounded by injuries to Arianna Jackson and Addy Brown, which have clearly taken a toll on the team. Now, all eyes are on head coach Bill Fennelly. His latest update on their status could go a long way in shaping what lies ahead, especially when fans might expect to see both players back on the court.

“Iowa State’s Bill Fennelly told us earlier today that guard Arianna Jackson did not suffer an ACL injury in the loss at Cincinnati, but is out indefinitely. ‘I think she will be (back this season),’ he added. Addy Brown is also having an MRI on her back,” Iowa State sports insider Rob Gray shared via X.

Well, it’s definitely not the kind of news fans were hoping for, but it’s the reality Iowa State has to deal with right now.

Addy Brown’s status for Sunday’s matchup against West Virginia is still uncertain as she continues to nurse a back injury. But it’s Jackson’s situation that hurts the most. Fennelly confirmed that while Jackson didn’t tear her ACL, she’s still expected to miss a significant portion of the season.

As for Brown, there’s still no clear timeline just yet. The staff is taking a cautious approach before making any final calls on her health. But the timing of Jackson’s injury couldn’t be worse for Fennelly and the Cyclones. And why not? In 16 games, she’s been averaging 5.6 points and 2.8 rebounds, and she’s become one of the team’s best on-ball defenders.

Meanwhile, the good news, if there is any, is that Brown’s return seems much closer. Fennelly mentioned that she was able to get shots up in practice on January 9. She was scheduled for an MRI later that day to further evaluate her back.

In the meantime, with Jackson sidelined, Iowa State will turn to freshman Reese Beaty to step into the starting role and try to fill a pretty big void.

Bill Fennelly has a few other things to resolve

Well, for Bill Fennelly, it’s not just the injuries to key players that are causing headaches, but the team’s overall lack of production across the board. For example, Iowa State has leaned heavily on Audi Crooks and Jada Williams, and that imbalance is starting to show.

Just look at how Baylor defended Crooks a few days ago. The Bears dared other Cyclones to step up and beat them, and Iowa State couldn’t quite answer that challenge. That Baylor game, though, was still the tightest contest the Cyclones have played all season. Neither team ever built a double-digit lead, and Baylor got up by eight at most, while Iowa State’s largest cushion was six.

So, now, Fennelly is facing a multi-layered challenge: managing injuries, finding secondary scoring, and keeping the team competitive in a tough Big 12. It’ll be interesting to see how things evolve from here and who rises to the occasion for Iowa State.

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