Iowa State women's basketball is getting an elite sharpshooter in trasfer Lily Hansford
What is Iowa State women's basketball getting in Oregon State transfer Lily Hansford?
Honestly, many would sum it up to one word.
Shooting.
In 17 minutes per game in her sophomore season, Hansford shot a Pac-12-leading 44.9% from beyond the arc on 3.1 attempts. That was a 9.7% increase from her freshman season, citing her continued reps in the gym as a reason she has grown from a good shooter to an elite one. It's a big part of why head coach Bill Fennelly and the rest of the Cyclones' coaching staff contacted Hansford as soon as she entered the transfer portal.
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"That's been my claim to fame," Hansford said.
When opposing coaches write scouting reports, her shooting will be the first thing that comes up every time. However, as a former three-sport athlete in basketball, tennis and softball, there's a lot more to her game than you can see on the stat sheet.
“We love Lily’s ability to play both ends of the floor," Fennelly said. "She is another player who comes to Iowa State with a winning mindset. Lily can impact the game at both ends with her excellent 3-point range and defensive length.”
At 6-foot-2, Hansford has great length and size to defend multiple positions, which should turn into more playing time for the junior guard. Hansford mentioned they plan to use her a lot at shooting guard and small forward, rolling off screens for shots around the perimeter. She even could play a little bit of a small-ball power forward type role.
Another underrated part of Hansford's game? Her leadership, she says. Hansford is an admittedly vocal person, currently studying digital communications at Oregon State, hoping to one day speak to the sports world as a sideline reporter.
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As a second-year player with the Beavers, Hansford was thrown into a leadership role with several new freshmen and transfers on the roster. She spent much of the season helping them adjust to the offensive and defensive schemes she spent the previous season learning, as well as helping them adjust to life in Corvallis.
The team meshed pretty well, going 27-8 before being eliminated by the eventual national champions, South Carolina, in the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight.
"That (vocal leadership) might not be my role as much this year because it'll be new to me," Hansford said. "But as soon as I figure everything out, I'll definitely be more vocal."
But Hansford already feels some level of comfort in Iowa, spending many days during the COVID-19 pandemic at the All-Iowa Attack facility in Ames. She also was raised not too far away in Green Bay, Wisconsin, so her family and friends are thrilled they have the chance to watch more games now that she's much closer to home.
Now, Hansford looks to be an immediate contributor on and off the court for Iowa State in her junior season.
Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: How Lily Hansford's shooting fits with Iowa State women's basketball
