Big 12 Polls Rank Iowa State Women 11th

The Iowa State women's basketball team faces a rebuild with a roster featuring 10 newcomers this season.

Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Basketball

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Big 12 Conference coaches and media members ranked the Iowa State women's basketball team 11th in their respective preseason polls. The program enters the 2026-27 season with significant roster turnover as it prepares for the final year under head coach Bill Fennelly.

Why it matters

The low preseason ranking reflects the team's massive roster overhaul, which includes only three returning players. The departure of key personnel, including transfer Audi Crooks, leaves the squad in a transition period for its final campaign under long-time leadership.

Iowa State earned an 11th-place ranking in both the coaches' and media preseason polls. The current roster is composed of just three returning players alongside 10 newcomers.

The players

Bill Fennelly

He is the head coach of the Iowa State women's basketball team and is entering the final season of his tenure.

Audi Crooks

She is a collegiate basketball player who transferred to Oklahoma State University during the 2026 offseason.

Big 12 Conference

This is the collegiate athletic conference that conducts the preseason polls for member basketball programs.

The details

The rankings were finalized following a major offseason shift that saw Audi Crooks transfer to Oklahoma State, which currently sits at the top of the conference standings. Coach Bill Fennelly is set to retire at the conclusion of this season, adding a layer of finality to the team's current development phase.

October 8, 2026: Big 12 coaches released their official preseason poll.
October 28, 2026: The Big 12 media preseason poll was publicly released.
2026 offseason: Audi Crooks completed a transfer to Oklahoma State University.

Season Trajectory

This season marks the conclusion of a long-standing era for the program as it prepares for the final year under the direction of coach Bill Fennelly. The 11th-place projection places the team in a difficult position to secure a high tournament seed in a highly competitive conference.

The low preseason ranking signals that the team faces an uphill battle to qualify for postseason play with such a high number of new roster additions. Fans should monitor how the limited returning core stabilizes the lineup early in the non-conference schedule.

The takeaway

With a large group of new players, the team will need to build chemistry rapidly to exceed these preseason expectations. The final year of the current coaching regime provides a unique narrative anchor for the upcoming competitive schedule.