Iowa women's 3-point shooting streak ends at 945 games
Michael Voepel, ESPN senior writer
On Tuesday, the Iowa State women's basketball team didn't take a shot from beyond the arc for the first time in nearly 30 years. This ended the Cyclones' NCAA record streak of 945 games with at least one three-pointer.
Iowa State still held off Texas Tech 71-58 at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa, but shot 0-for-7 from distance. The streak dates back to February 19, 1995 in Colorado. That was the Cyclones' final season under coach Theresa Becker, when Iowa State was still in the Elite Eight.
Coach Bill Fennelly took over the next season and led the program to 22 NCAA tournaments and three Big 12 tournament titles, most recently in 2023. Fennelly has always made the 3-point shot a staple of his offense, and the Cyclones had never gone a game without making at least one shot under his guidance — until Tuesday.
From a women's basketball history perspective, the last time Iowa State didn't hit a 3-pointer, the WNBA didn't exist (founded in 1997) and UConn didn't win any of its 11 NCAA championships (No. an NCAA championship). Later in 1995) Team USA's streak of eight consecutive Olympic gold medals had not yet begun (starting in 1996).
“We only made seven shots, so we didn’t really care,” Fennelly said of the Cyclones’ focus on scoring in the paint versus shooting 3-pointers against Texas Tech. “If we were really worried about (the record), it would probably take us about 15 more games to get that record.
“I know it's big for some people and it's big for us. I'm proud to score in a row. But it's like a kid getting a triple-double; I'm not going to keep them in the game just to get a statistic Statistics, we scored three points in two games, both in the first half.”
On Tuesday, forward Addy Brown and center Audi Crooks combined to score 49 points on 19-of-31 shooting to lead Iowa State. The Cyclones started the season ranked eighth but fell out of the AP poll. They are now 13-6 overall and 4-2 in the Big 12.
The Cyclones are typically one of the top three-point shooting teams in the Big 12 and in the country. This season, they have made 151 three-pointers, ranking third in the league. TCU led with 177 points.
Iowa State's all-time scoring leader Ashley Joens set a school record with 344 three-pointers in her career from 2018 to 2023. She played five years on a COVID-19 exemption. Iowa State's four-year record is 287 3-pointers, held by Megan Taylor (1997-2001) and Heather Ezell (2005-2009).