At the elite levels of sport, some athletes have a skill that stands far above even their best competition. It's what defines their game, what the younger generations hope to emulate. It's what makes them great.
Derrick Henry's punishing stiff arm comes to mind. Jacob Misiorowski's blazing fastball and Lionel Messi's impossibly precise dribbling, too.
Add Audi Crooks' low post finishing to the list. Crooks, who transferred to Oklahoma State after three years at Iowa State, has been one of the most dominant inside scorers from the moment she stepped onto a college court.
Crooks went off for 40 points on 18-for-20 from the field in her very first NCAA Tournament game, drawing Shaquille O'Neal comparisons in the process. She's only improved since,
finishing as the nation's seventh-leading scorer in 2024-25 and second the following season.
Audi Crooks with 40 points off 18-20 from the field in Iowa State’s first round win! @AudiCrooks pic.twitter.com/e7Rd1Q8trl
— Courtside Films (@CourtsideFilms) March 23, 2024
Now, Crooks enters a new chapter in Stillwater, where she joins highly-touted Florida transfer Liv McGill under coach Jacie Hoyt. It's a big transition for Crooks, who goes from being Iowa State's sole offensive hub to the backbone of Hoyt's run-and-gun, 3-point heavy offense.
The transition has unlocked a new layer to Crooks' game. For the Win spoke with the two-time All-American to understand what that looks like and just how dangerous it could be for Oklahoma State's opponents.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
What have you learned about your game and how it can improve in this new chapter of your career?
I think there’s a whole ‘nother layer to my game that I’ve been able to discover here this year, and the coaches have really pushed me to welcome that change and continue to grow and have an open perspective for the game of basketball, honestly.
What does that new layer to your game look like?
Honestly, it’s just a lot more activity overall. Offensively, it’s more of the WNBA style of play. Jacie Hoyt basketball is very run-and-gun. The bigs set a lot of ball screens. So it’s just being more involved in places other than the block.
How does being on a team with such prolific pace and 3-point shooting help unlock what you can do inside?
That’s absolutely huge for me because that will limit teams’ ability to double or triple-team me in the paint. They’re not going to be comfortable doing that knowing that we have so many outside threats.
What’s it been like getting to know Liv McGill as a teammate, and what are you expecting out of your combination on the court?
It’s been an absolute joy getting to know her as a person first, but also Liv just kinda has an elite mindset with everything she does. She’s got a point guard mindset. She’s always looking to set open people up. And I think the combination of us is going to be scary. A lot of pick-and-roll action coming. And even in the short months we’ve known each other and have been playing together, I think we’ve kinda gotten each other’s game down to a T, so hopefully we put out a good product.
When you arrived at Oklahoma State, Coach Hoyt made a lowlight reel to show you some areas that needed improvement. What did that mean to you then, and how have you worked on those things since?
I loved it. I loved that moment. I thought that was pretty authentic and raw. And just being here, she stayed true to her word. We worked on things that maybe I wasn’t so good at or wasn’t necessarily aware of, and we turned those weaknesses or weaker tendencies into pretty strong tendencies.
You’ve mentioned accountability as a big reason you transferred to Oklahoma State. Now that you’ve been there a few months, how is being in an environment where accountability is paramount shaping you as a person and athlete?
Accountability has always been a big thing for me. I played Oklahoma State quite a few times over the last few years, and I’ve seen Coach Hoyt and this staff hold their players accountable on the court. Meet ‘em at halfcourt, yell at ‘em, really just give them an earful, and I think that is a great way to uphold the standard. And now having experienced that a little bit, I can definitely say that I’m better for it. It just kinda helps making sure everyone is on the same page and the goals that you set, they’re not gonna let you fall short.
How do you go about helping to uphold that standard considering you’re expected to be a major contributor and leader?
That is something that we talked about when I visited here. She’s not gonna try to change me. I’m not gonna try to change her program. At the end of the day, we’re both gonna do what we’re great at doing. But it’s just kind of a beautiful thing when you can incorporate new pieces to the puzzle that can benefit the entire system without changing the system.
What does it mean for you to be trusted with that leadership role?
It’s huge. It’s not something I take lightly. It shows she’s been watching, just as I’ve been watching her, she’s noticed me as well, noticed my game, and thought I could potentially bring some big things to the town of Stillwater. So I take that and carry it with a lot of pride and just try to remember that in the forefront of my mind whenever I’m getting into these workouts.
After some early-round exits at Iowa State, how motivated are you to make a deep NCAA Tournament run in your senior season?
I think that’s everybody’s dream, right? Everybody has big aspirations and wants to make a deep run, and being this is my senior year, I’m gonna give it all I can and be with this new group of girls and new level of talent. I think that we’re gonna have a pretty good chance of making it past those first initial rounds. I’m not gonna put a limit or ceiling on anything. I’m just gonna continue to work hard and day-by-day, game-by-game, see what happens.
What does success at Oklahoma State look like for you?
I think the biggest thing for me is just connection. Being on this team, interacting with these girls every day, these coaches every day, of course we all want to win. People want to stuff the stat sheet. That’s not necessarily my focus. I just really want to enjoy this year, make connections on and off the court. Kind of like the connection I have with this Venmo partnership. Really just seizing every opportunity, every moment, and making meaningful connections along the way.
Speaking of the Venmo partnership, what’s your experience with their Money Moves program been like, and how has NIL overall affected your experience as a student-athlete these last three years?
NIL has definitely given student-athletes opportunities that we didn’t have before. And Money Moves (a program in which nine Venmo NIL partners receive a portion of their earnings in Venmo), along with my own personal agenda, is kinda all about giving back. It’s being involved with your family and friends, being able to do for others, and it’s a great way for young adults to be able to have more financial awareness and how those things operate in the real world setting.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Q&A: Audi Crooks on why ‘scary’ transfers give Oklahoma State no ceiling
