Crooks Named to Wooden Award Late Midseason Top 20 List

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Iowa State junior Audi Crooks has been named to the John R. Wooden Award Late Midseason Top 20 Watch List, introduced by Los Angeles Athletic Club Tuesday night.

Selected by a panel of nationwide school basketball specialists, the record includes 20 student-athletes who’re frontrunners for probably the most prestigious honors in school basketball: the Wooden Award® All-American Team and the Wooden Award® Most Outstanding Player.

The nation’s main scorer has continued to show herself as one of the dominant gamers within the low publish, averaging 25.9 factors per sport whereas capturing practically 67 p.c from the sector. Crooks has additionally been a dependable presence on the boards, averaging 7.7 rebounds per sport whereas recording 10 double-doubles by way of 24 video games performed this season. She has scored in double figures in 90 consecutive video games, the longest lively streak nationally, and have become the quickest Big 12 ladies’s basketball participant in historical past to attain her 2,000^th profession level (89 video games). Crooks has additionally improved her free throw share, connecting on 110-of-154 (71.4 p.c) makes an attempt on the line this season.

The gamers on the record are thought of sturdy candidates for the 2026 John R. Wooden Award® Women’s Player of the Year. Players not chosen for the late midseason record stay eligible for inclusion on the Wooden Award® National Ballot. The National Ballot will characteristic 15 prime gamers who’ve demonstrated to their universities that they meet or exceed the Wooden Award® {qualifications}. Wooden Award® voters shall be invited to rank 10 of the 15 gamers on the poll so as of choice when voting opens throughout the NCAA Tournament. Voters will even think about performances within the match’s early rounds, gamers’ contributions to their groups, and their character. The Wooden Award All-American Team shall be introduced throughout the week of the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight.

Celebrating its fiftieth 12 months, the Wooden Award has featured particular programming with first winner and ambassador Marques Johnson, culminating within the 2026 John R. Wooden Award offered by Principal. Winners, All-Americans, and the recipient of the Legends of Coaching Award, Matt Painter of Purdue, shall be honored on the Los Angeles Athletic Club on Friday, April 10, 2026.