Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus UCF on January 31, 2026 , Win , 65, to, 52
Final
Women's Basketball
65
UCF
52
Iowa State University Athletics
Women's Hoops Ready for New Challenges
10.25.2007 | Women's Basketball
AMES, Iowa - The Iowa State women's basketball team started practice on October 13th and November 4th can't come soon enough. The Cyclones will tip off the 2007-08 campaign on Nov. 4 in a 2 p.m. exhibition contest against Iowa Wesleyan. Iowa State fans will get their first glimpse of a team that is completely different from any other in Head Coach Bill Fennelly's 13-year tenure.
“They are just ready to start playing games,” Fennelly said. “They have been working out since August and school is really getting tough. They are really ready to play someone else.”
The Cyclones have one senior and one freshman on this season's squad and a lot of question marks in between. In the first few weeks of practice Fennelly has gotten some answers, but there are still questions that remain.
The biggest question asked during the offseason surrounded the replacement of point guard Lyndsey Medders. The All-American obliterated nearly every Iowa State assist record during her four-year career and was one in a long line of accomplished point guards to pass through the Iowa State program under Fennelly.
Sophomore Alison Lacey has answered that question.
“Aus (Lacey) is our point guard,” Fennelly said. “She sees the floor, she handles the ball, but that's not probably a natural position for her. She wants to do it. She plays well with the ball in her hands. She sees the court and she passes the ball well.”
The thing that gives Fennelly the most confidence in replacing Medders with Lacey is the fact that the
Heather Ezell enters her junior campaign as the starting off guard and freshman Kelsey Bolte is the frontrunner at the three spot. Junior college transfer Denae Stuckey and sophomore Shellie Mosman are the first two guards off the bench according to Fennelly, the longest tenured head coach in the Big 12.
“They have all played guard before, but their positions are all different now,” Fennelly said. “They have to learn to play together. That is the biggest thing.”
Ezell started all but one game as a freshman and became a role player as a sophomore. She will be key component in the backcourt for the Cyclones this season as the most experienced player on the floor. She led the team in steals last season and earned valuable experience playing on the U.S. Jones Cup Team this summer in
The frontcourt should be solid for the Cyclones, with Toccara Ross, ISU's only senior, and Nicky Wieben, a 2007 All-Big 12 honorable mention pick, both returning for Iowa State.
“With Toccara and Nicky, we have good experience coming back in the post,” Fennelly said. “Jocelyn (
Ross was
Wieben avoided the sophomore slump last season, averaging 12 points and 1.8 blocks per game to be named an honorable mention All-Big 12 pick. She already holds the top two single-season block totals in school history and is just 34 shy of setting the career mark for the Cyclones.
Fennelly has a team that is unique from any other team he has had since he arrived at
“The thing that is different about this team is that there really isn't a leader yet,” Fennelly said. “Everyone says that you have to have a leader to win, but we haven't found that person yet. I have to be the leader right now, and I don't like that and I don't think they like it. But that will work itself out. Last year I could show up to practice late and they would have already started because they just knew what to do, and we don't really have that this year. But it will come with time.”
The Cyclones will face a gauntlet of non-conference tests that could ultimately determine where they spend the postseason. Iowa State will host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament in Des Moines, and after the outpouring of support in Minneapolis last season, the Cyclones don't want to be left out of the mix at their own event come March.
“Our non-conference schedule is tough,” Fennelly said. “We only lost nine games last year and one of them was to Pepperdine and then we begin this season with them (Nov. 11). We play
The Big 12 Conference has a different look this year, but will once again be one of the toughest leagues in the country. Every game will be a new challenge for the Cyclones and there's no chance for an off day.
“Obviously, Texas A&M and
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