Best Iowa State Cyclones Women's Basketball Players of All Time

Last Updated on May 30, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Iowa State women’s basketball has had stars in different eras, but the strongest legends lists always come back to the same things: elite production, major awards, NCAA tournament impact, and whether a player helped define what Cyclone basketball looked like at its best. That is why this list leans heavily on players who either owned the record book, won national-level honors, or pushed the program into some of its biggest moments under Bill Fennelly. (Iowa State Athletics)

1. Ashley Joens

Years with Iowa State: 2018–2023
Position: Guard/Forward
Notable achievements:
- Iowa State all-time leading scorer
- Three-time Cheryl Miller Award winner
- Two-time WBCA All-American
- 2023 Big 12 Player of the Year

Ashley Joens gets the top spot because her résumé is too big to ignore. She finished her Iowa State career with 3,060 points, broke the school’s career scoring record in 2022, won the Cheryl Miller Award three times, and left as one of the most decorated players in program history. When a player owns the biggest scoring mark the school has ever seen and stacks major national awards on top of it, that is a clean No. 1 case. (Iowa State Athletics)

2. Angie Welle

Years with Iowa State: 1998–2002
Position: Center
Notable achievements:
- Former Iowa State all-time leading scorer
- Iowa State all-time leading rebounder
- Three-time All-American
- Led the Cyclones to four NCAA tournament appearances

Angie Welle has a real argument for first, and if someone ranked her there, it would not be unreasonable. She graduated as Iowa State’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder, made three All-America teams, and was the kind of dominant interior player who helped move the program into a higher class nationally. Her number 32 is retired for a reason. (Iowa State Athletics)

3. Bridget Carleton

Years with Iowa State: 2015–2019
Position: Guard/Forward
Notable achievements:
- 2019 Cheryl Miller Award winner
- 2,000-point scorer
- AP All-America honoree
- One of the best all-around wings in school history

Bridget Carleton belongs near the very top because she was one of the most complete players Iowa State has ever had. She reached 2,000 career points, won the Cheryl Miller Award in 2019, and gave the Cyclones a true do-everything star on the wing. She could score, rebound, pass, defend, and carry a huge offensive load without looking one-dimensional. (Iowa State Athletics)

4. Alison Lacey

Years with Iowa State: 2006–2010
Position: Guard
Notable achievements:
- Led Iowa State to the 2009 Elite Eight
- First player in school history with 1,500 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists
- First-team All-Big 12
- No. 10 pick in the 2010 WNBA Draft

Alison Lacey sits this high because she blended winning, versatility, and big-game importance. She was the engine behind one of the best stretches in program history, helped lead Iowa State to an Elite Eight, and finished with a uniquely balanced statistical profile that no one else in school history had matched. Add in the fact that she became the program’s highest WNBA draft pick at the time, and her legend status is secure. (Iowa State Athletics)

5. Tonya Burns

Years with Iowa State: 1982–1985
Position: Forward/Center
Notable achievements:
- First Iowa State women’s player with a retired jersey
- Former career leader in points and rebounds
- Owned or shared 33 school records
- First-team All-Big Eight

Tonya Burns has to be in the upper half of any Iowa State legends list because she helped set the early standard for greatness in the program. Before later stars rewrote the record book, Burns was the benchmark. She was the first Iowa State women’s player to have her jersey retired, and that alone says a lot about how large her legacy was inside the program. (Iowa State Athletics)

6. Audi Crooks

Years with Iowa State: 2023–present
Position: Center
Notable achievements:
- 2,000-point scorer
- AP All-America honoree
- Multiple-time First-Team All-Big 12 selection
- One of the best scoring posts in school history

Audi Crooks is already a legend even though her story is still active. By January 2026 she had already become just the fourth Cyclone to reach 2,000 career points, and Iowa State has also credited her with freshman scoring and field-goal records plus major all-conference and All-America recognition. Longevity is still building, but the peak and pace are already too big to leave out. (Iowa State Athletics)

7. Megan Taylor

Years with Iowa State: 1998–2001
Position: Forward
Notable achievements:
- Started every game of her career
- Four-time All-Big 12 selection
- Big 12 Freshman of the Year
- Helped lead Iowa State to Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles

Megan Taylor was one of the foundational players in Iowa State’s rise under Bill Fennelly. Starting all 132 games of a career is a serious marker of consistency, and she was central to teams that won conference titles and established the Cyclones as a national tournament fixture. Some legends are built on gaudy scoring numbers, while others are built on being indispensable to winning. Taylor was the second kind. (Iowa State Athletics)

8. Hallie Christofferson

Years with Iowa State: 2010–2014
Position: Forward
Notable achievements:
- Two-time AP Honorable Mention All-American
- Two-time All-Big 12 First Team selection
- One of the best scoring forwards of her era
- National award watch-list regular

Hallie Christofferson deserves this spot because her peak was strong and nationally visible. She earned back-to-back AP honorable mention All-America recognition, was a two-time first-team All-Big 12 player, and became one of the program’s most reliable frontcourt scorers. She did not have the same long shadow as Joens or Welle, but at her best she was a major problem for defenses. (Iowa State Athletics)

9. Chelsea Poppens

Years with Iowa State: 2009–2013
Position: Forward
Notable achievements:
- AP Honorable Mention All-American
- Two-time All-Big 12 First Team
- 1,000-point, 1,000-rebound player
- One of the best rebounders in school history

Chelsea Poppens makes the list because her interior production was elite. She became just the second player in school history to record 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds, finished second in school history in rebounds when she left, and carved out a reputation as one of the toughest frontcourt players Iowa State produced in the Big 12 era. That kind of rebounding footprint gives her a strong case. (Iowa State Athletics)

10. Stephanie Soares

Years with Iowa State: 2022–2023
Position: Center
Notable achievements:
- Highest WNBA draft pick in school history
- No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft
- High-level two-way impact
- Short run, major legacy

Stephanie Soares did not spend long at Iowa State, so this ranking is built more on peak impact and historical significance than longevity. Even with that limitation, becoming the highest WNBA draft pick in program history is too important to dismiss. Her Cyclone run was brief, but it was high-end enough to leave a real mark on program history. (Iowa State Athletics)

Honorable mentions

Anna Prins
Kelsey Bolte
Lyndsey Medders
Anne O’Neil

Anna Prins has a solid case because she was a WNBA draft pick and an important part of strong Iowa State teams, while Kelsey Bolte, Lyndsey Medders, and Anne O’Neil all belong in the wider conversation around modern Cyclone standouts and All-Americans developed in the Fennelly era. (Iowa State Athletics)

Sources:

Iowa State Cyclones Women’s Basketball Legends