Iowa State women's basketball senior Emily Ryan guiding Cyclones through final stretch
AMES – For most of the season, the Iowa State women’s basketball team has relied on its highly decorated freshman class of five stars to carry the team through what was supposed to be a season of transition. But as the Cyclones are nearing the finish line of the regular season with so much still at stake, they’re leaning on one of their few veterans.
Senior point guard Emily Ryan may be the key to Iowa State’s success during the final stretch of the season, which continues Saturday when the Cyclones (15-10 overall, 9-6 in Big 12 Conference play) host BYU (15-13 overall, 5-10 in Big 12) at 6 p.m. at Hilton Coliseum.
“She’s the one that has been through this a lot, where the others haven’t, and she’s seen the things that allow individual and collective success,” said Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly.
Ryan’s experience is something the Cyclones don’t have a lot of on their young roster. After Iowa State’s roster underwent a giant makeover in the offseason, Fennelly turned to his five freshmen (Addy Brown, Arianna Jackson, Audi Crooks, Kelsey Joens and Jalynn Bristow) to fill some of the gaps left in playing time.
The rookies have been instrumental in Iowa State’s instant success this season, going from a team that wasn’t expected to make the NCAA Tournament to playing itself into the postseason picture. While all five bring unique skills to the table, they still lack one important thing that can’t be taught: experience.
That’s where Ryan comes in. The 5-foot-11 veteran is one of the most accomplished point guards in Iowa State history, averaging 10.6 points and 6.4 assists per game in 111 career games. More important, she's the most experienced player on the team.
Ryan has played a big role in big games the previous three seasons, especially last year when she led Iowa State to a Big 12 Tournament title. Fennelly has needed Ryan to lead the young group and show them what it takes to prepare and succeed during the last run.
“I think she just brings a sense of the leadership qualities and the trust that she has that her teammates have in her and the coaches,” said Fennelly, whose team could be without veteran Nyamer Diew on Saturday due to illness.
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Iowa State is still very much in the hunt for the NCAA Tournament with three games remaining in the regular season (BYU at home, at K-State, Cincinnati at home). ESPN women’s bracketologist Charlie Creme had Iowa State as an 11-seed in his Friday projections. But Iowa State can't afford to stumble to the finish line with two games at home against teams toward the bottom of the Big 12.
Beat BYU and Cincinnati, and the Cyclones will likely be headed to the Big Dance. If they don’t, they may find themselves watching the tournament at home. Ryan's message to her young teammates: Win that day, whether it's in practice or a game.
“(It’s) teaching them how to finish the season the right way, especially when we have so much at stake each game,” Ryan said.
Ryan’s leadership qualities aren’t the only important part of her game. She’s also been an important player on the floor. During Iowa State’s road win at Houston this week, Ryan scored nine points, grabbed 11 rebounds and handed out seven assists.
Ryan missed the start of the season with what Fennelly said was a lower leg issue. She recently has started to hit her stride, which comes at an opportune time with her younger teammates unaccustomed to playing 18 grueling Big 12 Conference games.
“I think she’s played really, really well and played well in a way that impacts our team the way it needs to be impacted, not just individually but for the group,” Fennelly said.
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That has been Ryan’s focus. She said she’s not worried about individual accolades and hasn’t thought about whether she’ll return for her final season of college eligibility. Instead, her attention is on this team and what it can accomplish now. The Cyclones have won two of their last three games entering Saturday.
“I think we’ve kind of caught our stride again,” Ryan said. “We went through a little rough stretch. That’s just how the Big 12 goes. But I think we’ve kind of gotten back into a rhythm and we’ve gotten back to doing things we know we can do.”
Tommy Birch, the Register's sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He's the 2018, 2020 and 2023 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State women's basketball's Emily Ryan leading young Cyclones team
