The problem is no longer finding a game plan. It is accepting that there may not be one. After Utah’s 79–72 loss to Iowa State on Friday night, the tone around Audi Crooks shifted from frustration to resignation. The Utes tried multiple looks, mixed coverages, and varied pressure points. None of it worked.

Crooks finished with 26 points, eight rebounds, and three assists, once again dictating the game from the paint and forcing the opposition into constant defensive compromise.

That reality came straight from Utah head coach Gavin Petersen after the game. “Audi Crooks, she’s hard to stop, man,” Petersen said. “The only way to stop her is to lock her in the locker room.”

Petersen’s comment was half-joking, but the message was serious. Utah threw different defensive looks at Crooks and still could not keep her from controlling the game. “You don’t stop her,” he added. “You can hope to slow her down.”

That assessment now functions as a warning more than a reflection. Big 12 teams preparing to face Iowa State are walking into the same dilemma Utah could not solve.

At 6-foot-3 and roughly 190 pounds, Crooks is not just productive. She is structurally disruptive. She finishes with either hand, converts at a high percentage around the rim, and forces defenses to collapse almost immediately. That gravity creates space everywhere else. When help comes, Iowa State’s shooters get clean looks. When it does not, Crooks scores anyway.

She is averaging 7.7 rebounds per game and leads the nation in scoring at 25.9 points per contest. More importantly, she punishes indecision. Every possession becomes a choice between conceding the paint or surrendering perimeter space. That is why opposing coaches are stuck with the same question. Double her and live with open shooters, or leave her one-on-one and accept the damage.

The concern goes beyond one matchup. Iowa State is now riding a five-game winning streak, and Crooks is the constant through all of it.

Because of her presence, Iowa State ranks among the nation’s best offenses, averaging 83.8 points per game while shooting 49 percent from the field. The Cyclones also average 20.7 assists per game, a direct reflection of how often Crooks draws extra attention.

That ball movement is what turns defensive schemes into gambles.

Will the Sun Devils Be Able To Stop Iowa’s Five-Game Winning Streak?

Next up for Iowa State is the Arizona State Sun Devils, a team that presents a different profile but the same challenge.

Arizona State enters the matchup with a similar overall record and a stronger defensive identity, allowing fewer points per game. However, offensively, the gap is significant. The Sun Devils average 67.1 points per game and shoot 43 percent from the field, numbers that leave little margin for error if Crooks controls the pace.

Arizona State may slow Iowa State at times. That much is possible. What Utah’s experience suggests, however, is that slowing Crooks is not the same as solving her.

Utah’s loss did more than extend Iowa State’s streak. It clarified the landscape.

As long as Crooks is healthy and commanding double teams, every Big 12 opponent is preparing for damage control rather than containment. Petersen said it plainly, even if he said it with a smile.

You cannot stop her. You can only survive her. And so far, no one has done even that.