Iowa State's Audi Crooks Scores Big Despite the Doubters

Audi Crooks grew up playing basketball on a cracked driveway in Algona, Iowa, where a discarded shovel marked the three-point line and piles of snow showed where out-of-bounds began. Her opponent was her mom Michelle, a former high school scoring star who taught her daughter how to move her big frame with grace and power.

Those driveway battles paid off. Crooks is now Iowa State's second-leading scorer in the nation, averaging 25.5 points per game while shooting an incredible 64.7% from the field.

But success hasn't silenced the critics. Some fans boo her during games, questioning her conditioning and defensive skills, sometimes even confronting her mom in person.

Crooks refuses to shrink from the negativity. "Being strong is something that I'm proud of. Being big is something that I'm proud of," she says.

Back home in tiny Algona, the community sees something different. A local clothing store called Threads dedicated a quarter of its space to Audi Crooks merchandise, sending her signature Iowa State gear as far as France.

Six middle school girls who traveled two hours to watch her play describe her as inspiring, powerful, and kind. They remember watching her score a record 49 points to win the 2023 state championship for Bishop Garrigan High School.

The Ripple Effect

Crooks' impact reaches far beyond the stat sheet. Young girls in Algona see her defying the limitations of small-town life and choosing her own path.

She still returns home three or four times a year, where she can't walk down the street without someone stopping to chat. Her dad Jimmie, who also wore number 55 and whose voice boomed louder than anyone at her games, passed away, but his legacy lives on in her game.

The middle school girls who watched her play against Kansas State noticed something important. "You always notice that about Audi," one said. "No matter what, she's always going to have a smile on her face and keep working."

From that cramped driveway to packed arenas holding nearly 11,000 fans, Crooks keeps proving that strength comes in many forms.