Iowa State Cyclones’ guard Emily Ryan (11) shoots the ball over between Houston Cougars forward Peyton McFarland (42) and guard Kierra Merchant (2) during the fourth quarter in the Big-12 women’s basketball at Hilton Coliseum on Wednesday, Feb19, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. © Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
AMES — Iowa State all-time assists leader Emily Ryan’s watched countless senior day (or night) speeches from the sidelines.
The fifth-year senior’s seen Cyclone greats before her tear up and thank their teammates, coaches and fans — and it’s a time-honored tradition head coach Bill Fennelly established early in his 30-season tenure.
“It’s a really special night,” said Ryan, who hopes to help ISU (20-10, 11-6) secure a signature win at 3 p.m. Sunday (ESPN2) against No. 14 Kansas State (25-5, 13-4) at Hilton Coliseum. “You don’t really think about your senior night until it gets here, so it’s kind of wild to think about that. But the game’s the most important part of (it), so we’re gonna focus on that.”
In other words, it’s business as usual for the hard-nosed Ryan, whose competitive drive has helped propel the Cyclones to a program-record 28-win season, a Big 12 Tournament title, and a Sweet Sixteen appearance in her half decade on campus.
“Just to honor her and have the day all about here is really great because she’s done a lot for the Iowa State program,” said sophomore guard Kelsey Joens, a former West Liberty standout who watched her sister, Ashley, go through ISU’s senior day/night festivities in 2023. “So, you know, celebrate, and then get right back to business and get ready for the Big 12s.”
The Cyclones — who took the Wildcats to overtime before falling, 87-79, a month ago in Manhattan — have won five of their last six games by remain on the NCAA Tournament bubble according to ESPN women’s basketball bracketologist Charlie Creme. ISU is currently one of the “last four in” and a ranked win would likely ensure its inclusion in the field. With a loss, the Cyclones may need to win at least one game at the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City to feel fully confident in terms of an NCAA tourney bid.
“We’ve practiced well and we’ve really tried to tell our team, ‘You can still get better,’” Fennelly said. “It’s (early March) and most people think the getting better stage is over. I’ve never believed that, and our players have embraced that, and that’s a credit to them because most people just show up to practice now because they have to. I think we’re still trying to get better and I think we have been.”
Fittingly, no ISU player has embodied that ambitious approach better than Ryan, who’s averaging 12.5 points during her team’s late-season surge — three points above her season average.
“It’s important that we play our best basketball in March,” Ryan said. “So that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Ryan’s been trying to do just about everything on the court in her five seasons as a Cyclone — and she’s largely succeeded. She’s one of three NCAA Division I women’s basketball players to record at least 1,500 points, 600 rebounds and 900 assists in her career, joining WNBA stars Caitlin Clark of Iowa and Sabrina Ionescu of Oregon.
“Part of her growing up was here in front of these fans,” Fennelly said of Ryan, who eventually hopes to go into coaching. “So I think it’s a cool thing and hopefully it’s a memory that she’ll have for a long time. And hopefully it’s a way for our fans to thank her one more time for the things that she’s done for us.”