Iowa State women's basketball: 5 takeaways from the Cyclones' non-conference schedule

Tommy Birch, Des Moines Register

Excitement has been building for the future of the Iowa State women’s basketball program ever since the Cyclones’ season came to an end with a second-round loss in last season’s NCAA Tournament.

The wait finally ends when Iowa State unofficially kicks off the season on Oct. 30 with an exhibition game against Central College at Hilton Coliseum.

Iowa State officially gets the season going on Nov. 4 when the Cyclones host Chicago State. But that’s just the start of what should be an entertaining and challenging non-conference schedule.

Iowa State's Audi Crooks takes a shot against Baylor on Jan. 13 at Hilton Coliseum in Ames.
Iowa State's Audi Crooks takes a shot against Baylor on Jan. 13 at Hilton Coliseum in Ames.

The Cyclones, who bring back most of the major contributors from a team that came within a victory of reaching the Sweet 16, are expected to accomplish even more this season.

They'll have plenty of opportunities in the non-conference season alone, which features in-state rivals, tough talent and some huge resume-building opponents.

Here are five thoughts from Iowa State's non-conference schedule, which was finalized on Friday.

The Cyclones ease into things early on

The intense non-conference schedule should start off with relative ease for Iowa State. The Cyclones will have an exhibition game with Central, then open the regular-season slate with four home games against Chicago State, Indiana State, Southern and St. Thomas. Those games should be comfortable victories and will allow Iowa State work its way into the grind of the schedule. The first big test comes at Northern Iowa on Nov. 20.

An in-state title will have to be won on the road

Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly always prioritizes in-state games. That means picking up wins against all of the in-state opponents. The road to accomplishing that won’t be easy, with two of the three rivalry games taking place on the road. Iowa State barely escaped a road win at Northern Iowa in 2022 and hasn’t won in Iowa City since 2006. Drake, which returns Missouri Valley Conference player of the Year Katie Dinnebier, will make things hard for Iowa State in their Hilton Coliseum matchup.

There are some big-time foes

Iowa State has some heavy hitters on its schedule. The Cyclones take on defending national champion South Carolina at the Fort Myers Tip-Off on Thanksgiving Day. Iowa, which also reached the title game, will host Iowa State on Dec. 11. The Cyclones close out non-conference play by taking on perennial powerhouse UConn as part of the Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase in Uncasville, Conn., on Dec. 17. Those opponents will put Iowa State on a big stage with an opportunity to show what its ceiling can be in 2024-25.

Iowa State can help its NCAA seeding

One of the most important things when it comes to the NCAA Tournament is grabbing a top-four seed, which means hosting the first two rounds. Iowa State has plenty of opportunities to bolster its resume with a strong non-conference schedule alone. Drake won last season’s Missouri Valley Conference regular-season and tournament titles. Then there’s Iowa, South Carolina and UConn. Even Northern Iowa, which was picked to win the MVC last season, should be a tough team now that its back to health. And then the Cyclones will have many chances to notch impressive victories in the powerful Big 12 Conference.

Overall, this is a strong schedule

The schedule shapes up well for Iowa State. The early part and stretches in the middle allow Iowa State an opportunity to potentially pick up some easy wins. The latter part also give the Cyclones some good opportunities to figure out how good they are and spruce up their NCAA Tournament resume.

Iowa State women's basketball non-conference schedule

  • Oct. 30: vs. Central at Hilton Coliseum (exhibition)

  • Nov. 4 vs. Chicago State at Hilton Coliseum

  • Nov. 7 vs. Indiana State at Hilton Coliseum

  • Nov. 11 vs. Southern at Hilton Coliseum

  • Nov. 14 vs. St. Thomas at Hilton Coliseum

  • Nov. 20 at Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls

  • Nov. 24 vs. Drake at Hilton Coliseum

  • Nov. 28 vs. South Carolina at Fort Myers Tip-Off, Fort Myers, Fla.

  • Nov. 30 vs. Middle Tennessee at Fort Myers Tip-Off, Fort Myers, Fla.

  • Dec. 3. vs. USC-Upstate at Hilton Coliseum

  • Dec. 8 vs. Central Michigan at Hilton Coliseum

  • Dec. 11 at Iowa, Iowa City

  • Dec. 15 vs. Eastern Illinois at Hilton Coliseum

  • Dec. 17 vs. UConn at Basketball Hall of Fame Women's Showcase, Uncasville, Conn.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State women's basketball: takeaways from non-conference schedule

Advertisement