AMES – The Iowa State women’s basketball team entered the season with one starting spot up for grabs.

The Cyclones brought back starters Audi Crooks, Emily Ryan, Addy Brown and Arianna Jackson. The team thought it filled the fifth starting spot when Kenzie Hare emerged as a constant contributor.

But with Hare now out for the season with an injury, that starting spot is once again up for grabs. Finding her replacement is one of the top priorities for No. 17 Iowa State, which takes on Eastern Illinois on Sunday at 5 p.m., at Hilton Coliseum.

More: Iowa State women’s basketball: Brown battles foul trouble, Hare out, miscues doom Cyclones

“We’ve got to figure that out,” said Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly. “And obviously we didn’t do a very good job of it the other night (against Iowa). So, we’ll continue to probably keep doing what we’ve been doing in the sense of giving everyone a lot of opportunities, mix and match and hopefully something good will come of it.”

Hare, a 5-foot-9 junior guard, transferred to Iowa State from Marquette and quickly produced for the Cyclones. The Illinois native averaged 8.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 10 games, including eight starts this season.

Hare had been dealing with a hip injury that occurred before she arrived in Ames. The Iowa State coaching staff tried treatment options but never could get her to 100%. So, the Cyclones decided to shut her down and medically redshirt her this season.

More: Iowa State women’s basketball guard Kenzie Hare to miss the rest of the 2024-25 season

Hare’s absence created a giant void on the floor. The newcomer, an established star 3-point shooter, gave Iowa State experience, defense on the perimeter and grit throughout games, diving for loose balls and making small but important plays.

“It’s a huge loss for our team,” Fennelly said.

Replacing her will be difficult. But Iowa State does have options. Freshman Aili Tanke has started at times this season. So has sophomore Kelsey Joens, who filled in during the Iowa game. Then there’s juniors Sydney Harris and Lily Hansford. The problem, Fennelly said, is that no one has stepped up and taken the job.

Tanke provided some valuable minutes in the Iowa game. Joens has shined at times off the bench. Harris has as well. Hansford, another strong shooter who transferred from Oregon State, has struggled to find her rhythm but is still in the mix after knocking down a big 3 against the Hawkeyes.

But no one has continually given Fennelly what he’s looking for: some points, some defense on the perimeter and some hard work. The bar isn’t high with Crooks, Brown and Ryan expected to handle the bulk of the scoring. Still, Tanke, Joens, Harris or Hansford has yet to win the job.

“They’re all in the mix and we just, up to this point, the only consistency has been inconsistency,” Fennelly said.

The coach said Friday and Saturday’s practices would decide who starts Sunday’s game. But that person may not be the permanent answer.

“I’m going to actually meet with all of them and just say, ‘Hey, here’s where we are and it’s going to be, whoever practices best the next two days will go out there first and whoever plays the best in the game on Sunday, stays in the game,’” Fennelly said.

There are other routes for the Cyclones to go as well. Fennelly said he’s thought about playing two post players at once, putting Crooks and Alisa Williams on the floor at the same time. He’s even thought about moving the versatile Brown to the three spot or into the post. Everything is on the table right now.

“I’m not afraid to try other things,” Fennelly said.

Time is ticking for Iowa State to figure it out. Things get very difficult for the Cyclones after Sunday’s game. Iowa State plays No. 2 UConn in the Invesco QQQ Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase next week. After that, the Cyclones embark on Big 12 Conference play. Iowa State was picked to finish second in the league this season.

If the Cyclones are going to have any success this season, replacing Hare is something they have to find an answer for. Fast.

“This is the situation we are in and it’s pretty evident, especially in the two road games that we lost,” Fennelly said. “So, we’ve got to figure that out.”

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

The third-ranked Iowa State men needed a rally late in the second half to end a decade-long drought inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena Thursday night, winning over Iowa, 89-80.

Curtis Jones and Nate Heise scored 33 points off the bench with six made 3-pointers and 12 rebounds between them. Joshua Jefferson had a double-double, scoring 19 points with 10 rebounds and seven assists. 

But despite all that, the Cyclones (8-1) trailed 44-37 at the break before outscoring Iowa (7-3) in the final 20 minutes, 52-36. 

Iowa State returns to action on Sunday when they host Omaha live on CBS Sports Network. 

Here are some of the key highlights from Otzelberger’s post-game press conference:

“Credit to Coach (Fran) McCaffrey, his staff and players because they spaced us out and had us back on our heels for the first 35 minutes, which is a huge credit to them,” Otzelberger said. “They were relentless. I thought the last four-or-five minutes, we did a better job defensively, a better job guarding the dribble, contesting and finishing plays on the glass. That got us out in transition. Guys made big shots, made big plays. Our team is at its best when they are disruptive defensively.”

“Throughout the course of a season, you are put in a lot of tough spots,” Otzelberger said. “Challenges come your way. You try to build young men in our program to expect adversity. Challenges  will come and you can’t think you will play perfectly. What really matters to me is when something doesn’t go your way, how do you respond? I thought our guys showed a lot of pride in our program playing for our fans, alums and donors.”

“I made the comment a couple of days ago that he is a super hero,” Otzelberger said. “The shots are great but he makes so many hustle plays. He is so tenacious in that department. They are not 50-50 balls; he commands, demands all of those. I believe those plays are energizing plays that take your team to another level.”

“Nate is a tremendous competitor who brings great energy, especially on the road,” Otzelberger said. “When you are playing a really good opponent, he is a guy you put a lot of trust in. I liked his energy. He is a shotmaker, a playmaker and I am happy for him playing as well as he is.”

* How to watch Iowa State vs. Omaha on Sunday

* Cyclones rally past Iowa to secure road win

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