Walk-on Mary Kate King providing inspiration to the Iowa State women's basketball team

AMES – There's less than two minutes remaining in the Iowa State women's basketball team's Feb. 24 showdown with BYU as Mary Kate King steps onto the floor for the first time. King, a walk-on, is among the final substitutions in the blowout game. But her entry into the game, as it usually does, excites many of the fans who loudly cheer as she jogs onto the Hilton Coliseum court.

“For everyone to cheer for you, it’s electric,” King said.

It happens every time King touches the court. The 5-foot-3 guard from Dubuque quickly became a fan favorite when she arrived in Ames. King rarely gets playing time but is celebrated every time she does because of her work behind the scenes along with her willingness to do whatever it takes just to be a part of the team.

“We’re always excited for her,” said Iowa State guard Arianna Jackson.

King has become an important part of the success for the 7-seed Cyclones, who take on 10-seed Maryland in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday. While she likely won't play, King has quietly had a massive impact on the Cyclones as an inspiring teammate.

"I just want to be part of the team"

King's fandom for Iowa State began when her family moved from Minnesota to Dubuque in 2006. King's family became close friends with enthusiastic Iowa State fans Mike and Tracy Schaul. The Schaul family's love for the Cyclones rubbed off on the King family.

They watched and cheered on the Cyclones and often made the three-hour trip to Ames to watch Iowa State football and men's and women's basketball games. King's father, T.J., has a picture of her standing outside what is now known as the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City with the Cyclones' trophy from Big 12 Conference men's basketball tournament.

"We were pretty big fans," King said.

King wanted to go to Iowa State and play for the Cyclones, even if that meant turning down other opportunities. King, an all-conference player at Wahlert Catholic High School, averaged 12.1 points, 3.3 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game as a junior and drew interest from some small-college programs.

But she had her sights set on Iowa State. There was only one problem: The Cyclones hadn't recruited her. So King pitched herself to the coaching staff, emailing Iowa State associate head coach Jodi Steyer during the winter of her senior year.

King introduced herself to Steyer, told her how she'd been a Cyclone fan her whole life, and asked if they were looking for walk-ons.

"I always loved Iowa State and been a Cyclone fan so it's kind of a childhood dream," King said.

Steyer was intrigued. She also already had a soft spot in her heart for walk-ons after her son Eric had gone that route for the Iowa State men’s basketball team. So Steyer reached out to the Schaul's son, Tyler, a former manager on the men's basketball team, to learn more about King. Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly talked to King’s high school coach, Kris Spiegler, one of his former players at William Penn.

They all raved about King and encouraged the staff to bring her on. Steyer set up a meeting with King and talked with her about life as a walk-on for the Cyclones. It wasn't a pretty picture, though. Steyer prepared King for the worst. She told her about the long hours and all the work she'd have to do.

It would be a huge commitment with few rewards. Steyer couldn't promise King playing time or even an opportunity to travel with the team. Steyer, thinking being a manager might be more rewarding, pitched that idea to King. But King shot it down.

“She was dead-set on, ‘I just want to be part of the team,’” Steyer said.

The Cyclones gave King a chance when they brought her in during the fall of 2021 on a test basis. They needed to see if it was really what King wanted and if it would be a good fit for the Cyclones. They didn’t just want a feel-good story. The staff needed someone who could help the team during practice.

King, a former soccer, cross country and softball player in high school, impressed the staff. Steyer liked her athleticism, passion for the game and work ethic. Fennelly decided to keep her around. King didn't know if she'd ever get playing time. But she didn't care. She was on the team.

"It was a great opportunity," she said.

She's made the most of it.

King's hard work behind the scenes gets recognized

Most of King's impact is felt behind the scenes, often working with Iowa State's scout team. It's not a glamorous job. And it rarely results in playing time. But she's still having a huge impact.

"She's done everything we've asked, whether it's getting people ready for workouts or playing defense," Steyer said. "She does take an active role in practice. And maybe it's not what everybody sees. You don't see it down in Hilton all the time. But we definitely see it in Sukup (Basketball Complex) a lot."

Fans have gotten a glimpse of her, though. King appeared in 12 games for Iowa State during the 2021-22 season and scored her first collegiate basket in the Gulf Coast Showcase. She played in 10 more games the following season and five this season.

Those chances have come late in games, when the contest has long been decided. But they've routinely become big moments not only for her teammates but for fans who love seeing the walk-on get chances to play. Jackson said King's teammates understand how hard she works. So they do whatever they can late in games to get her the opportunity to get minutes.

"It's really cool to get your name announced," King said. "That in itself is really what you have dreams about."

King's work hasn't gone unnoticed. In November of 2022, Fennelly surprised King by briefly putting her on scholarship. After Fennelly gave her the news at a practice, King's teammates mobbed her and lifted her up in the air.

"Even though Mary Kate doesn't play a lot, we know how hard she works and the coaches recognize it, too," Fennelly said. "It's something she's earned."

King is back to being a walk-on. But that's fine with her. Simply being a part of the team and being a Cyclone is what she cares most about. That's why she keeps showing up to practice every day and working hard, even though playing time is rare.

The experience has been rewarding in ways she never thought it could be. King was a part of Iowa State's Sweet 16 team two seasons ago and the team's Big 12 Tournament title team last season. She's been along for the ride during a surprising 2023-24 season that brought a runner-up finish at the league tournament and another NCAA Tournament berth.

Opportunities like those are why she continues to play and continues to grind, even though she may never see the floor again.

"You play the game for yourself and you love the game so much that it doesn't really matter, title or not, scholarship or not," King said. "I didn't come into this thinking I was going to be on scholarship. I was so glad. It was a great opportunity. So, the same way I came in, the title (of scholarship player) doesn't mean anything to me."

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: Walk-on Mary Kate King inspiring Iowa State women's basketball team