AMES – Iowa State women’s basketball coach Bill Fennelly was still celebrating his team’s last-second win over Drake on Sunday at Hilton Coliseum when his grandson Will Fennelly approached him.
Will had been following the South Carolina women’s game that resulted in No. 5 UCLA knocking off the Gamecocks for their first loss of the season.
“He said, ‘Grandpa, you’re in trouble,’” Bill Fennelly said. “I go, ‘What do you mean?’ He goes, ‘South Carolina’s getting killed. They’re going to be in a bad mood.’ I’m like, ‘OK, thanks Will, I love you too.’”
Fennelly’s team will be the first to take on South Carolina following its loss. The two teams will meet Thursday during the Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off in Fort Myers, Fla., at 12:30 p.m. (FOX).
“He’s probably right,” Fennelly said of Will’s observation.
Thursday’s game was already shaping up to be a tall task for Iowa State (5-1). The Cyclones faced the enormous challenge of taking on one of the best programs in the country. The Gamecocks rolled through last season with a national championship and an undefeated campaign. They began the year with five straight victories to extend their winning streak to 43 games.
The streak ended Sunday with a loss to UCLA. So an already tough South Carolina squad, fresh off its first setback of the season, will be trying to get back on track against Iowa State.
Regardless of the timing, Iowa State players have been looking forward to this opportunity.
“That’s something you can either shy away from or be excited about and this group is going to be excited about it,” said Iowa State point guard Emily Ryan.
The matchup is another difficult one on Iowa State’s non-conference schedule that is full of great opponents. Iowa State will also take on powerhouse program UConn as part of the Invesco QQQ Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase on Dec. 17 in Connecticut.
Fennelly, who had already agreed to play in the Fort Myers Tip-Off, didn’t know South Carolina was going to be in the field. So he listened as legendary UConn coach Geno Auriemma urged him to schedule a game with his team.
More: Drake vs. Iowa State takeaways: Another big in-state game for Drake’s Katie Dinnebier
“I’m like yeah sure. … I better get a free dinner out of it,” Fennelly said with a laugh Sunday.
Two days after agreeing to play UConn, Fennelly got a call that another spot had been filled for the Fort Myers Tip-Off. The team? South Carolina. Iowa State would be the Gamecocks’ opponent.
“That was not by design and initially they moved it to Thursday,” Fennelly said. “And my thing was, at first, I’m like, this is crazy.”
But Fennelly also understood what a great opportunity it was for his team. South Carolina, which has spent the early part of the season ranked No. 1, would give the Cyclones a tough opponent to test themselves against. The game on FOX would also give the program and the school a giant platform to showcase themselves.
“It’s a two-hour informercial for our school,” Fennelly said.
Most important, it’ll be a good barometer for Iowa State to see just how good the Cyclones are this season. There have been high hopes for Iowa State ever since last season’s surprise season that ended with the Cyclones reaching the Big 12 Conference Tournament title game and coming a win from reaching the Sweet 16.
The Cyclones began the season as a top-10 team in the Associated Press and USA TODAY Sports Network Coaches poll as well. But an early-season slip-up against in-state rival Northern Iowa and a close call against Drake have led to some questions about just how good the Cyclones are.
“I think (the South Carolina matchup) going to show us a lot of things and we’re going to learn a lot from that game, regardless,” said Iowa State post player Audi Crooks. “But I am really excited for the opportunity to be able to showcase what Iowa State is all about.”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
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State women’s basketball faces defending national champs Thursday
