NCAA denies waiver for Iowa State women’s basketball star Stephanie Soares

AMES — Iowa State women’s basketball star Stephanie Soares won’t be coming back for another year.

The 6-foot-6 graduate transfer suffered a torn ACL in the Cyclones’ game at Oklahoma on Jan. 8 and had hoped to return to the team one more season, but the NCAA denied her injury waiver.

“It is disappointing that my time with Iowa State women’s basketball has come to an end,” Soares said Wednesday on Twitter. “Thank you to the Iowa State coaching staff and the Iowa State compliance staff on their effort during the waiver process.”

Soares averaged 14.4 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.0 blocked shots in her single injury-shortened season with the Cyclones. She’s likely to be selected in next month’s WNBA Draft and will continue playing internationally for Brazil.

“My time in Ames was brief, but I will always be a Cyclone!” Soares said. “I have always had my family and God at my side during challenging times, and that is not changing. With the strength God gives me, I look forward to continuing the rehab process, going through the WNBA Draft process and returning to the basketball court when the time is right.”

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