Part 1

A new roster, a new identity, and one move that shifts the conversation around two of the Big 12’s most competitive programs. We ran this move through ShotTracker Scout, our AI-powered scouting platform, to understand the full impact on both programs. Every Fit Score and player analysis in this breakdown is powered by Scout’s data.

Every offseason, the portal produces big headlines. Most moves are straightforward: a player finding a better fit, a program filling a rotation spot. Business as usual. Audi Crooks transferring from Iowa State to Oklahoma State is something different. This is the kind of move that does not just update a roster. It reshapes how a program plays, competes, and is perceived heading into next season.

Scout ran the numbers. Here is what the data tells us.

What Oklahoma State Was Looking For

To understand why this move matters so much for OSU, you have to start with what they had. The Cowgirls finished fourth in the Big 12 last season. Tough, fast, and guard-driven. They could push the pace, create off the dribble, and generate real pressure in transition.

The one piece they were searching for was a reliable half-court presence. Someone who could stabilize possessions when pace slowed and give the offense a consistent answer when the initial action broke down. For guard-heavy teams, that gap can be the difference when tournament time comes and games get physical and deliberate.

Scout flagged Oklahoma State’s half-court efficiency as their most significant area for improvement heading into this portal cycle. The data pointed directly toward the post.

Audi Crooks is that answer. And then some.

What Crooks Brings to Stillwater

The 25.8 points per game at Iowa State tells you she can score at an elite level. What the number does not capture is the attention she commands every single time she catches the ball on the block.

Crooks increased her scoring average every year as a Cyclone: 19.2 PPG as a freshman, 23.4 PPG as a sophomore, 25.8 PPG in her final season. That is not just production. That is a player who keeps finding new levels. And she is doing it again by choosing a situation where her game can expand even further.

When Crooks sets up in the post, defenses have to collapse. When help rotates, perimeter players get open looks. When perimeter players are ready to fire, the entire half-court picture opens. That is gravity. And it unlocks the players around her just as much as it elevates her own numbers.

Scout Fit Score for Audi Crooks at Oklahoma State: 68.41. The combination of her post scoring, free throw creation, and the spacing provided by OSU’s incoming roster makes this one of the cleanest fits Scout has tracked in this portal cycle.

With Crooks in the lineup, Oklahoma State now has:

• A legitimate go-to option when the game slows down and half-court execution matters most.

• A player’s defenses have to scheme around entirely, not just account for.

• A dependable answer in late-game situations when every possession counts.

The Player Already There: Stailee Heard

Before the portal ever opened, Oklahoma State had something to build around. Stailee Heard, a two-time All-Big 12 guard who averaged 16.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in 2024-25, is the one player who stayed. And that continuity matters more than it might look on paper.

Heard is not just a scorer. She is a high-IQ guard who rebounds at a rate that most forwards would envy. She creates in the mid-range, attacks the glass, and makes the right read in late-clock situations. The incoming portal class was built around her just as much as it was built around Crooks.

Now imagine what she looks like with a dominant post presence drawing attention away from her every single possession.

Scout ShotTracker Rating for Stailee Heard is 78.1. Her rebounding, mid-range creation, and versatility as a secondary option complement Crooks’ interior gravity in a way that makes both players more dangerous.

A Roster Built to Fit Around Both of Them

Oklahoma State did not just land Crooks. They constructed an entire roster designed to maximize her and Heard together, surrounding them with exactly the kind of spacing and playmaking that makes dominant players even harder to guard.

The incoming group:

• Liv McGill (Florida): 22.5 PPG, 6.3 AST. Scout Fit Score: 72.0. A true playmaker who pushes pace and creates off the live dribble. With McGill running the show, defenses cannot cheat toward Crooks without giving up easy opportunities elsewhere.

• Nene Ndiaye (Rutgers): 41.6% from three, 14.8 PPG. Scout Fit Score: 65.3. The floor spacing every post player wants. When Ndiaye is in the corner, help defenders face a real decision every time Crooks catches the ball.

• Talexa Weeter (Fort Hays State): 27.5 PPG. High-volume perimeter scoring that keeps opponents honest on the weak side.

• Ellie Brueggemann (Lindenwood): 44% from three, 14.0 PPG. Scout Fit Score: 67.5. Another perimeter threat ready to punish any defense that over-commits to stopping Crooks inside.

• L.A. Sneed (Utah): 3.3 APG as a freshman. Scout Fit Score: 58.5. A young playmaker still developing but already showing the instincts to run an offense.

Last year’s OSU was a talented group of guards competing hard. This version is a connected offensive system with a clear identity and multiple answers for any defensive look.

The Identity Shift Is Real

It is worth pausing to appreciate just how different this Oklahoma State team is going to look.

• Guard-heavy becomes balanced.
• Perimeter-first becomes inside-out.
• Pace-dependent becomes half-court capable.

Programs that can play multiple ways are the ones that make noise in March. OSU can now handle teams that want to grind and teams that want to run. That versatility, combined with the firepower they have assembled, makes this a team with a real path to a deep postseason run.

If this group hits its stride, this is not just a strong Big 12 contender. It is a legitimate threat.

Up Next: Iowa State After Crooks

Part 2 of this series breaks down how Iowa State is responding to one of the biggest offseason roster shifts in the Big 12 and what Scout’s Fit Score analysis says about the Cyclones’ path forward.

See what Scout can do for your program at shottracker.com
Schedule a demo with us!