Audi Crooks landing spots: Iowa State star enters transfer portal, so where could she end up?

Iowa State's mass exodus continued Thursday as All-American center Audi Crooks has decided to enter the transfer portal, per ESPN. Crooks is the 10th Cyclone to leave Ames this spring, and will depart along with Jada Williams, Addy Brown and Kenzie Hare.

The Cyclones got off to a 14-0 start, which included a big win over Iowa in their big rivalry matchup, and were ranked as high as No. 10 in the country. They went 8-10 the rest of the way, however, and were eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by Syracuse. This was the fourth year in a row that the Cyclones failed to reach the second weekend of the tournament. 

Amid Iowa State's late-season collapse, Crooks put up the best numbers of her career: 25.8 points (good for second in the country) and 7.7 rebounds on 64.9% shooting. She was named to the All-Big 12 First Team and the AP All-American Second Team. 

Crooks is a unique player with some glaring weaknesses, particularly on the defensive end. But while that might mean she's not a fit for every single program, anyone that skilled and dominant in the post on the offensive end is going to have plenty of suitors. 

Here are some potential landing spots for Crooks:

UCLA

The Bruins will lose seven seniors after this season, six of whom -- Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice, Gianna Kneepkens, Gabriela Jaquez, Charlisse Leger-Walker and Angela Dugalić -- are going to be selected in the 2026 WNBA Draft. Despite the impending exodus, coach Cori Close has only signed one incoming freshman: Somto Okafor. 

UCLA is going to have to hit the portal this summer. 

"I have a responsibility to keep our program at a championship level and I don't think I can do it with just freshmen anymore," Close told Yahoo Sports earlier this year. 

"We have no interest in rebuilding," Close continued. "We really are intent on reloading. My responsibility is to adjust in the landscape that I'm given and to lead well no matter what. But the reality is, I have to do that whether I like it or not."

Enter Crooks. She's a completely different player than Betts, but would ensure that the Bruins enter next season with an elite center. It's also worth noting that UCLA was sixth in the country in post-up possession frequency this season (16.6%, per Synergy Sports) and 241st in the country in pace (67.9). That type of style would suit Crooks, who likes to set up and operate on the block. 

Iowa

This would obviously be a contentious move given the Iowa State-Iowa rivalry, but the Hawkeyes would give Crooks a chance to compete while remaining in state and close to her mom and small hometown of Algona. Plus, few teams enjoy playing through the post as much as Iowa. 

Just a few years ago, Iowa was an exemplar of modern basketball with Caitlin Clark leading the way. Now, the Hawkeyes play a double big system like it's the 1970s. Only six programs had a higher post-up possession frequency than Iowa this season (16.2%) and one of them was Iowa State. The Hawkeyes were also 16th in the country in points in the paint per game (37.6) and 107th in pace (70.8). 

There will be a hole in Iowa's frontcourt after the departure of All-Big Ten senior Hannah Stuelke, and Crooks would be an extremely talented one-year stop gap while freshman Layla Hays and incoming recruit McKenna Woliczko develop. It's fair to wonder how Crooks and Ava Heiden may fit together given that they're both score-first centers who almost exclusively score in the paint, but there are worse problems for a coach to figure out. 

Minnesota 

Minnesota may not be the first school you think of for a high-profile transfer, but the program could be a good fit for Crooks. And she, in turn, could be the player to continue their upward trajectory after they reached the Sweet 16 this season for the first time since 2005. 

The Golden Gophers had their most successful season in two decades by playing a methodical brand of basketball. They were 296th in the country in pace (66.5), 10th in post-up possession frequency (15.2%) and tied for 22nd in points in the paint per game (37). They'll also be losing six seniors, including starting center Sophie Hart. 

It's easy to imagine Crooks sliding into Hart's spot and replacing much of the offensive production Minnesota got from her, as well as senior guards Mara Braun and Amaya Battle. Furthermore, the Golden Gophers have the shooting to space the floor around Crooks. They were 21st in 3-point percentage this season (35.6%) and are returning their two leading scorers, who doubled as two of their best shooters. Tori McKinney averaged 12.7 points on 34% from 3-point range and Grace Grocholski was at 12.1 points on 42.4% from downtown.

WNBA

Crooks will turn 22 in December, which makes her eligible to leave school early and declare for the 2026 WNBA Draft. There have been no indications that she's interested in that path -- in fact, she told ESPN earlier this month that she wants to finish college -- but we have to at least mention the possibility.