Crooks Named to Lisa Leslie Award Midseason Top 10

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Iowa State junior center Audi Crooks has been named to the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award Midseason Top 10. Crooks is one of 10 centers in the country named to the list. It is her second straight season appearing on the Top 10 list after she was a finalist last year.

Crooks is the second Cyclone to be recognized among the Midseason Top 10 centers with Kristin Scott being the first in 2020.

The nation's leading scorer has continued to prove herself as one of the most dominant players in the low post, averaging 25.9 points per game while shooting over 67 percent from the field. Crooks has also been a reliable presence on the boards, averaging 7.7 rebounds per game while recording 10 double-doubles through 22 games played this season. She has scored in double figures in 89 consecutive games, the longest active streak nationally, and became the fastest Big 12 women's basketball player in history to score her 2,000^th career point (89 games). Crooks has also improved her free throw percentage, connecting on 102-of-144 (70.8 percent) attempts at the line this season.

Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting in both of the remaining rounds starting on Friday, February 6, on hoophallawards.com. The Fan Vote will count as one committee vote during the finalist selection process.

The final 5 candidates for the award will be released to the public on a day by day basis starting the week of March 16, with voting set to follow on March 20. The list is fluid throughout the whole process and players have the ability to play themselves on or off our list until the winner is finally selected. The winner of this award, as well as presentation details, will be announced towards the end of the season.

The winner of the 2026 Leslie Award will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with the other four members of the Women's Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Nancy Lieberman Award (Point Guard), Ann Meyers Drysdale Award (Shooting Guard), Cheryl Miller Award (Small Forward) and the Katrina McClain Award (Power Forward).

For more information on the 2026 Lisa Leslie Award and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophallu and #LeslieAward on X and Instagram.