Ashleigh Connor arrives at Iowa State as one of the most experienced pieces on a roster that could use exactly that. The redshirt senior is expected to factor heavily into the point guard job, bringing a résumé that includes two seasons as La Salle’s starter, where she led the team in points and assists both years after a limited role at St. Louis.
Even in a new program, Connor has already carved out a leadership role as one of the older players on the roster. A sprained ankle slowed her down for a stretch, but she is expected to be back to full health by the season opener Nov. 2 against Grambling State. It has not been stated if she will play in tonight’s exhibition game against Upper Iowa.
Connor gives the Cyclones a guard who can score in multiple ways. In talking with Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register, she put it plainly: “I like to drive.
I like to get downhill, finish through contact. But I like to pull the 3 as well.”
That attack mentality showed up at the foul line, too. Connor made 148 free throws last season, second in the conference, and she shot 35% from 3-point range after hitting just 23% the year before. Iowa State plans to split point guard duties between Connor, Sienna Harvey and Macy Comitto, though Connor could slide to shooting guard when Harvey and Comitto are on the floor.
Her impact should be felt on the defensive end as well. Connor averaged 2.0 steals per game last season and stands 5-11, giving the Cyclones some size on the perimeter.
Bill Fennelly has already praised the roster’s defense, and Connor’s arrival is part of that equation. With a lineup that isn’t especially big, building a defensive identity could become a defining trait for this team.
For now, the expectation is that Connor starts. She brings experience, versatility and the kind of steadiness that a team with a young roster can lean on. With Emily Ryan on the staff as an assistant coach, the offense should flow through the point guard spot, and Connor was third in her conference in assists.
She also fits into a potential defensive pressure group with Arianna Jackson and Evangelia Paulk. Iowa State finished last in steals last season, so Connor’s ability to force turnovers matters.
This will be Connor’s final year of college basketball, even with the new 5 for 5 rule. She has already shown enough leadership to earn a spot as one of three Cyclones chosen to represent Iowa State at Big 12 media days, along with Jackson and Paulk.
And when asked how she wants her last season to look beside a respected head coach, Connor kept it simple: “We want to win as many games as we can for him, but it’s basketball,” Connor said. “He just wants us to go out there and play our hardest. Inevitably that is going to win us games.”
In Other News...
Iowa State Gets Encouraging Killyan Toure News Amid A Frustrating Delay
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For Iowa State, the timing is frustrating because Toure was expected to be a major piece alongside Tamin Lipsey. The delay will test the Cyclones early, especially with one of their more promising perimeter options unavailable, but the preseason recognition underscores the upside waiting once he gets back on the floor. The bigger question now is how Iowa State manages the opening stretch before Toure can rejoin the rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Suddenly Needs More From Jamarion Batemon
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The challenge for Batemon is turning those flashes into something more consistent as his playing time grows. His season also had its rough patches, including a difficult shooting stretch in the NCAA tournament, so this next step is less about rediscovering his game than proving he can deliver it night after night. Iowa State will still want the same two-way impact from him, only now the Cyclones need a steadier version of it for a longer stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Jimmy Rogers Already Has Iowa State Facing A Tough Early Test
The 2026 coaching cycle has already split into two very different tracks, and Jimmy Rogers is in the more uncomfortable one. Across the last six Power Four hires, the early returns have been uneven enough to tell a story of their own, with some newcomers sitting atop unbeaten teams while others are still trying to get traction in conference play. For Iowa State, the question around Rogers is less about rsum and more about how quickly he can steady a program that has not yet found an easy rhythm.
What makes the early stretch tougher is the mix of issues piling up around the Cyclones. The offense has struggled, the quarterback situation is still unsettled, and injuries have only made the job harder as Iowa State looks for its next win. Rogers inherited the kind of early test every first-year coach expects eventually, only this one has arrived fast enough to shape the tone of the whole season. [Read more 🡒]