AMES - Bill Fennelly made one thing clear as Iowa State opened women’s basketball media day on Wednesday: his farewell season is not supposed to revolve around him.
“This is about the team,” Fennelly said after announcing Monday that his 32nd season leading the Cyclones will be his last. “This is not about me.”
That message fits the way he wants this group to play. Iowa State is expected to push the tempo, play with freedom and let it fly from deep. Fennelly said his roster has “the brightest green light” imaginable beyond the arc, and with 10 newcomers joining returners Arianna Jackson, Freya Jensen and Evangelia Paulk, he plans to keep the offense loose.
“I don’t know what the brightest green light there is, but they all have it,” Fennelly said. “They’re all such good kids and they’re trying and they’ll miss a shot, and I told one of them the other day, ‘I’ll tell you when to quit shooting.’ And she kind of looked at me, and I go, ‘And I’m never gonna tell you to quit shooting.’”
Jackson appears to have the clearest license of all. The Des Moines senior hit a career-best 43.9 percent from 3-point range last season and was also Iowa State’s top on-ball defender. She also arrives with Cyclone roots: her father, Hez, and brother, Kendell, both played football at ISU.
Fennelly said Jackson has long been overlooked.
“She’s never, ever, ever gotten the attention she deserves,” he said. “People in this building know how important AJ is.
I think they’re gonna know a lot more about how important she is this year, in a weird way, in how it’s all come together. But she is that kind of kid.
A Des Moines kid. Someone who means a lot to me personally and certainly means a lot to Iowa State.”
Jackson said the freedom to fire away is exactly what a shooter wants.
“I mean, as a shooter it means everything,” she said. “So, just no worries, just let it go. He always says, ‘Shoot it before you turn it over,’ so that’s what I kind of lean on.”
The new faces have spent the summer getting to know one another while leaning on Jackson through the adjustment to campus. Seven of the 10 newcomers are from foreign countries, and the roster includes two Australians, two Canadians and two Iowans. Despite those scattered backgrounds, the group has already started to come together.
Australian point guard Sienna Harvey, who transferred from Washington, said the mix has made the process fun.
“I think it’s cool seeing how everyone plays and we’re all gelling together,” Harvey said. “So it’s been super fun.
You get to learn a lot about everyone and where they’re from. Like, everyone’s got a different story, so it’s been super cool having that.”
Fennelly said Harvey, fellow transfer Ashleigh Connor and true freshman Macy Comito will handle the point guard duties. Connor recently sprained her ankle but is expected back for the Nov. 2 season opener against Grambling State. Comito, a Carlisle product, missed part of the summer with a “knee thing,” but Fennelly said she is working her way into form and should provide meaningful minutes.
“Trainers did an incredible job getting her back and she’s just getting into it, but you’ll see three different people (at the point) probably throughout the year,” Fennelly said.
Depth figures to be the defining feature of the season. Fennelly said all 13 players will see the floor, with minutes likely shifting from game to game depending on the matchup and production.
“Every day in practice, all 13 are playing,” Fennelly said. “Rotations are different.
First game against Grambling, here’s the minutes. Next game, like, just stay ready.
I honestly believe every single kid can have an impact. … Absolutely, we’re gonna play them all.”
One of the more intriguing pieces is 6-7 senior Xiao Zhang, a player Fennelly’s staff found in China. He said Zhang brings skill at her size and gives the Cyclones another versatile option.
“She’s very, very talented with the ball in her hands,” Fennelly said. “Can score with either hand.
Can shoot the 3 a little bit. She’ll be a big part of our team.”
For Fennelly, though, the broader point is the same one he started with. This season is about the roster in front of him, not the coach finishing out his final year.
“I don’t want them to think about anything,” he said. “Just let it rip and we’ll see what happens.”
In Other News...
Iowa State Is Getting Big 12 Respect With One Bigger Question
Iowa State is heading into the sixth season of the T.J. Otzelberger era with the kind of preseason attention that has become increasingly familiar in Ames. The Cyclones were picked fourth in the Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll, trailing Arizona, Houston and Kansas, a nod to the programs standing in a league that rarely hands out respect easily. With Tamin Lipsey, Blake Buchanan, Jamarion Batemon and Dominykas Pleta back in the fold, there is enough returning production to keep expectations pointed squarely at a run at the conference race and a deeper NCAA tournament push.
The bigger question is how quickly all the pieces come together around that core. Iowa State will need its incoming freshmen and transfers to settle in while managing the absence of Killyan Toure because of injury, and in the Big 12 there is little margin for a slow start. The Cyclones have the rsum now to be mentioned with the leagues best, but the difference between a good season and a real contender often comes down to whether the new additions can raise the ceiling without disrupting the identity Otzelberger has built. [Read more 🡒]
Jamarion Batemon Suddenly Has A Real Chance To Break Out At Iowa State
Jamarion Batemon already gave Iowa State reason to believe last season, when the freshman carved out a useful role with his defense and a steady 6.6 points per game. Now the path in front of him looks wider. With Killyan Toure sidelined for an extended stretch, Batemon is positioned to see more minutes and a bigger responsibility in the Cyclones backcourt as the season approaches.
For a program that leans on toughness and depth, that kind of opportunity can change a players trajectory fast. Batemon does not need to become a different player to matter more, but the chance is there for him to turn a promising first year into something more substantial if the added playing time turns into production. [Read more 🡒]
Houston Just Got A Big 12 Reminder Before The Season Starts
The Big 12s preseason coaches poll for the 2026-27 mens basketball season offered an early reminder of how tight the race figures to be at the top. Arizona led the way with 12 first-place votes, while Houston landed second with four first-place votes, and Kansas, Iowa State and Texas Tech completed the top five in a conference that looks loaded again before a game has been played.
For Iowa State, the placement fits the broader picture of a league where the margin between contenders appears razor thin. The narrow point gap among the top teams suggests another year in which every trip through the Big 12 will matter, and even a program like Baylor sitting at 10th shows how deep the conference is expected to be from top to bottom. [Read more 🡒]