Iowa State To Honor Back-to-Back Big 12 Champion Teams on Feb. 8

AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State Athletics Department will honor and pay tribute to two of the greatest basketball teams in school history when members of the 1999-2000 and 2000-01 women's basketball squads return for the annual women's basketball reunion and special recognition on Feb. 8 against Colorado.

The 1999-2000 Cyclone team won the program's first-ever Big 12 regular-season title and Big 12 Tournament crown. The 2000-01 squad repeated as Big 12 Tournament champions.

Prior to the 1999-2000 season, the Cyclones made history by knocking off top-seeded UConn to advance to the NCAA Elite Eight in school history. It was an incredible achievement, but ISU wanted to make the next step by winning a conference title, something that had never been done before in program history.

The outlook was bright. Every member of the 1998-99 roster was back, including All-Americans Stacy Frese, Angie Welle and Megan Taylor, plus stars Desiree Francis, Tracy Gahan, Monica Huelman and Erica Haugen.

The preseason hype was naturally present, and the Big 12 coaches selected ISU the favorite to win it all.

It was a new frontier for the Cyclones.

"Our players felt they were that good. We proved it the year before, but like anything, you go to the next year and you must start over," Iowa State head coach Bill Fennelly said. "Even though we had the same players, did we have the same mindset and commitment? You just don't show up in November and expect to have a good team. It's what you do from March to November. Luckily, with the leadership of this team they relished everything about it. They wanted to be good. We knew we were good and weren't going to make excuses if it didn't go well. That group was so connected, and they still are to this day. They understood what was coming and they were ready for it."

The Cyclones didn't disappoint, racing out to a 9-1 league record. A pair of setbacks to Kansas State and Kansas ensued, but the Cyclones didn't panic.

"With some teams you have to talk about we are only worried about the next 40 minutes," Fennelly recalled. "With this team we would talk about more broad-based topics like what we can accomplish and what we want to do. I remember saying, 'Okay, we got to win the last four games.' The maturity and the way this group was connected, I wasn't really concerned. Yeah, you are a little worried, but I can promise you when we came to practice after losing two in a row you wouldn't have known the difference. They were like, the next team is in trouble."

Trouble indeed.

ISU won its next three games by an average margin of 30.3, destroying Missouri, Texas A&M and Baylor. With one game left at Texas, the Cyclones could clinch a share of their first conference title.

Frese, an ISU Hall-of-Famer and one of the greatest players in school history, was familiar with the Texas mystique.

"I mean, it's Jody Conradt," Frese said. "Obviously growing up in a basketball family you know who Jody Conradt is. You're going to Texas. They had Edwina Brown. It was Texas. They had the uniforms with the sleeves."

The Cyclones started slow and were down by nine points with six minutes remaining in the contest.

Things looked bleak, but this team was experienced and united.

"I kept saying, this team is too good to finish second," Fennelly said. "There was obviously a moment of doubt. But at that same time, it was kind of like, that group had a consistency of effort. They never panicked. When they got it going, I don't care who we were playing, they didn't have enough timeouts. I'm big on anyone can start something, but special teams finish, so let's finish it."

What an incredible finish it was, as the Cyclones responded with a 26-4 run to end the game with a 79-66 victory.

The Cyclones were Big 12 champs.

"Everyone talks about beating UConn the year before," Fennelly said. "I get that. But when you look at what that game meant. The comeback. In the grand scheme of things, that might have been the most important six minutes we've ever had here."

A week later, the Cyclones would pick up their second trophy by claiming the Big 12 Tournament title and would add another Big 12 Tournament trophy in 2001.

Please join us on Feb. 8 as we recognize the incredible accomplishments from these amazing Cyclone teams.

Iowa State University Athletics

Iowa State To Honor Back-to-Back Big 12 Champion Teams on Feb. 8

Related Videos

Sponsors