Iowa State star Crooks 10th Cyclone headed to portal

Iowa State star Audi Crooks announced Thursday she is entering the transfer portal, making her the fourth starter and 10th Cyclones player overall to say they will move on after a disappointing second half of the season following a start that matched the best in program history. Crooks, one of the most popular players in the women's game, averaged 25.8 points per game this season to rank second in the nation. She averaged 22.8 points over 99 games in her three seasons since the Cyclones signed her out of Algona, Iowa."I still believe the grass is greener where you water it, and I've done that here," said Crooks in a social media post. "It's why I want you to hear from me directly that I have decided to enter the portal and explore what it means to take root again in new ground."Crooks follows starters Addy Brown, Mackenzie Hare and Jada Williams into the portal in addition to six reserves.Arianna Jackson is the only starter to announce she would return next season.Athletic director Jamie Pollard, in a video released by the school Thursday, said head coach Bill Fennelly, who turns 69 next month, would return for a 32nd season. Pollard attributed the mass exodus to the state of college athletics and noted other women's basketball programs are going through similar upheaval."In today's world, student-athletes transfer for a lot of different reasons," Pollard said. "Some leave because they're searching for more playing time. Some leave because they're homesick. Some leave because they're disgruntled. And now some leave because they just want the opportunity to maximize their ability to receive revenue from the school they're at."The two-week portal window for women's basketball begins Monday.The Cyclones were picked second in the Big 12 preseason coaches' poll, started 14-0 to match the 2013-14 team for the best start and were ranked No. 10 for five straight weeks. They then dropped five straight games and tied for seventh in the conference at 10-8. They were a No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament and lost their opener to No. 9 seed Syracuse 72-63.Crooks, a three-time All-Big 12 first-team pick, caught the nation's attention as a freshman when she scored 40 points in an NCAA Tournament win over Maryland. Nearly unstoppable in the low post, she scored at least 30 points in 17 games in three seasons and went over 40 five times this season.Off the court, Crooks attracted crowds for her willingness to engage with fans. She landed name, image and likeness deals with the Iowa Pork Producers, US Cellular and a number of other sponsors and used some of her earnings to buy new uniforms for her high school, Bishop Garrigan in Algona, and support other local causes.