Lisa Bluder

ST. LOUIS, Mo. — Former Drake head coach Lisa Bluder’s induction into the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame became official on Friday. She is one of six honorees in the 2025 Hall of Fame class.

A former student-athlete at the University of Northern Iowa, Bluder served as Drake women’s basketball head coach from 1990-2000. She began her coaching career at St. Ambrose, where she compiled a 169-36 mark in six seasons, leading St. Ambrose to the NAIA Fab Four in 1989 and 1990.

While at Drake, she earned four MVC tourney titles, three MVC regular-season crowns, and won at least 20 games in five of her last six seasons on the Drake bench. A three-time MVC Coach of the Year, Bluder led her teams to a top-4 finish in the league standings eight of her 10 seasons in the conference.

With a cumulative record of 188-105 (.642), she owns the second-most wins in Drake school history. After her successful run at Drake, Bluder became the all-time winningest coach at the University of Iowa (528-254).

Bluder also served as head coach of the U.S.A. women’s basketball team at the 2015 Pan American Games, earning a silver medal in the event.

Crooks is a Lisa Leslie Award finalist

AMES — Iowa State sophomore center Audi Crooks has been named a Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award Top 5 Finalist as announced by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Crooks is the first Cyclone to be named one of the five finalists for the award.

The Lisa Leslie Award, now in its eighth year, recognizes the top centers in NCAA Division I women’s college basketball. It is named after the three-time All-American, 1994 National Player of the Year, and Class of 2015 Hall of Famer.

Crooks leads the Big 12 in scoring this season, averaging 22.9 points per game while pulling down 7.7 rebounds per game. She set the Iowa State single-season record for made field goals (290) entering the Big 12 Championship quarterfinals.

The Algona native has scored in double figures in 64-straight games, every game except her first as a Cyclone. It ties the program’s longest streak set by Angie Welle (2000-02).