Audi Crooks is an Oklahoma State Cowgirl - a huge get for Jacie Hoyt and the women’s basketball program who, at one point, only had one returning player
STILLWATER, Okla. — Oklahoma State women’s basketball has made a massive splash in the transfer portal, landing Iowa State star center Audi Crooks, the No. 1 ranked player available and one of the most dominant post players in the country.
The 6-foot-3 Algona, Iowa, native announced her commitment to the Cowgirls on Sunday night, April 19, via social media, instantly reshaping the outlook for head coach Jacie Hoyt’s program heading into the 2026-2027 season.
This move marks Hoyt’s biggest get yet in the portal era and signals that she is putting together quite the squad, one built for immediate contention in a wide open Big 12 Conference.
Crooks arrives in Stillwater as a battle-tested veteran with one year of eligibility remaining after three standout seasons at Iowa State. Her resume is a highlight reel of Big 12 dominance.
A two-time All-American, she earned second-team honors from both the Associated Press and the United States Basketball Writers Association in 2026 after posting 25.8 points per game (second in the NCAA) on an eye-popping 64.9 percent shooting from the field. She also averaged 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while starting all 31 contests she appeared in during her junior campaign.
In 2025, she was named a third-team All-American by the USBWA. Crooks earned unanimous first-team All-Big 12 selection each of her three seasons (2024-2026), becoming the first freshman in Iowa State history to claim the honor. She was also tabbed to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team in 2024.
Additional accolades include Iowa Miss Basketball in 2023, multiple Wooden Award and Naismith Trophy watch-list appearances, and repeated finalist nods for the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award.
Crooks set Iowa State single-season records for points (820) and field goals made (329) in 2025-26. She became the fastest player in Big 12 women’s basketball history to reach 2,000 career points, doing so in just 89 games.
Off the court, she was named captain of the Allstate NACDA Good Works Team for her community impact. Before college, she starred at Bishop Garrigan High School, where she shattered state tournament scoring records with 332 career points and 117 in a single tournament. She also represented the United States on the gold-medal-winning FIBA AmeriCup team.
The recruitment battle for Crooks was fierce. Multiple powerhouse programs circled the top transfer target, but the Oklahoma Sooners emerged as the most prominent in state rival aggressively pursuing her services. Oklahoma, under head coach Jennie Baranczyk (also an Iowa native with prior USA Basketball ties to Crooks), was widely reported as a top suitor alongside schools like Notre Dame, Maryland, and Iowa.
Crooks took official visits and weighed her options carefully before choosing to stay within the Big 12 and join the Cowgirls.
Oklahoma State ultimately hosted her this past weekend and sealed the deal, beating out the field for the consensus top prize in the portal.
What does Crooks bring to the Oklahoma State Cowgirl basketball team? Dominance. At her best, she is an unstoppable force in the paint with a polished low-post game, elite footwork, and soft touch around the rim. Her efficiency is off the charts, she rarely forces shots and converts at a historic clip for a high volume scorer. Beyond the numbers, Crooks provides veteran leadership and championship pedigree after helping Iowa State reach the NCAA Tournament multiple times.
For a Hoyt-led squad that has shown steady growth but lost key pieces to graduation and the portal, Crooks injects instant star power and interior presence. She pairs perfectly with Hoyt’s up-tempo, player-development-focused system, giving the Cowgirls a go-to option who can score in bunches, stretch defenses, and rebound at a high level.
Expect her to anchor the offense, draw double-teams, and create opportunities for teammates while logging heavy minutes as a focal point of the attack.
This commitment caps an impressive offseason haul for Hoyt, who has transformed the Cowgirls from a program searching for identity into a consistent NCAA Tournament participant.
Since taking over in 2022, Hoyt has emphasized culture, toughness, and portal savvy. Landing Crooks validates that approach and positions Oklahoma State as a legitimate dark-horse contender in the 2026-2027 Big 12 race. With the conference landscape shifting and several traditional powers in transition, the Cowgirls now boast one of the most talented frontcourts in the league.