The No. 14 Iowa State Cyclones have a ton of talent and are really hoping this is the year they make it back to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2009. Ashley Joens is back for her fifth year and is leading the team with 19.6 points per game to go along with 9.1 rebounds. Emily Ryan is once again near the top of the nation in distributing to go along with 12.3 points per game on 42.9 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Lexi Donarski’s scoring and efficiency are down, but she’s averaging a career-best 3.9 assists per game and we all know she’s got the talent to get back on track in those other areas. Then there’s the newcomer who could make the difference this year and that’s Stephanie Soares, a 6-foot-6 center who can stretch the floor. She’s averaging 16 points, 9.1 boards and 3.3 blocks.
So the Cyclones have all the pieces and for the most part, those pieces are putting up their typical stellar numbers. The preseason No. 8 team is still in the Top 15, has a solid 7-2 record and remains the highest-ranked team in the Big 12, a conference that it is favored to win now that Texas has struggled.
But Iowa State has yet to pick up a ranked win; its most impressive victory remains its 99-76 triumph over now-receiving votes Columbia on Nov. 20. It missed out on an opportunity to defeat a ranked rival when it lost to now-No. 12 Iowa 70-57 on Dec. 7. Now, it the opportunity to erase that memory when it faces another ranked opponent in the No. 25 Villanova Wildcats on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN). The game is part of the Invesco QQQ Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase and will be played at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.
The Wildcats are also looking for their first win against a team that is currently ranked; they defeated then-No. 24 Princeton on Nov. 11. The Tigers are no longer receiving votes. In their two games against currently ranked teams, the Wildcats lost 75-70 to No. 18 Baylor and 67-46 to No. 16 Creighton. The Creighton loss was on Dec. 2, so like Iowa State’s loss to Iowa, it wasn’t too long ago. Villanova has won three blowouts since; the Cyclones have won one blowout since Dec. 7. Both teams will be hungry to pick up a signature win.
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So the Cyclones have all the pieces and for the most part, those pieces are putting up their typical stellar numbers. The preseason No. 8 team is still in the Top 15, has a solid 7-2 record and remains the highest-ranked team in the Big 12, a conference that it is favored to win now that Texas has struggled.
But Iowa State has yet to pick up a ranked win; its most impressive victory remains its 99-76 triumph over now-receiving votes Columbia on Nov. 20. It missed out on an opportunity to defeat a ranked rival when it lost to now-No. 12 Iowa 70-57 on Dec. 7. Now, it the opportunity to erase that memory when it faces another ranked opponent in the No. 25 Villanova Wildcats on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN). The game is part of the Invesco QQQ Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase and will be played at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.
The Wildcats are also looking for their first win against a team that is currently ranked; they defeated then-No. 24 Princeton on Nov. 11. The Tigers are no longer receiving votes. In their two games against currently ranked teams, the Wildcats lost 75-70 to No. 18 Baylor and 67-46 to No. 16 Creighton. The Creighton loss was on Dec. 2, so like Iowa State’s loss to Iowa, it wasn’t too long ago. Villanova has won three blowouts since; the Cyclones have won one blowout since Dec. 7. Both teams will be hungry to pick up a signature win.
Preview: No. 14 Iowa State, No. 25 Villanova both have something to prove
It’s still too early in the season to tell how good the Iowa State Cyclones and Villanova Wildcats will be. The outcome Sunday’s matchup between the two will give us a better sense of where these teams are headed.
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