No. 15 Iowa State eager to open Big 12 women’s basketball play at Texas Tech

AMES — Stephanie Soares knows.

Iowa State’s 6-6 graduate transfer forward is well aware she’ll face physical defenses and occasional double teams during Big 12 play, but it’s a challenge she eagerly embraces.

“I think playing (non-conference games) has helped me learn to work through the physicality,” said the Brazilian-born former NAIA star, who will receive her Big 12 baptism beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday at Texas Tech. “Just in practice, too, just always going through the (contact) and not turning away from the physicality.”

The 15th-ranked Cyclones (8-2) will face the Red Raiders (12-1) after a 13-day layoff that started with the blizzard-based cancellation of the annual game against Drake. ISU veteran head coach Bill Fennelly said it’s the longest stretch without games he can remember in his 27-plus seasons leading the program, but he’s convinced his mostly-veteran team is ready to start league play.

“I think we had the longest Christmas break of any Division I team in the country, which is great,” Fennelly said. “Normally I would worry about it and, yeah, we may go down there Saturday and look like we haven’t played in two weeks, but this group seems to have a greater maturity to them.”

That’s because of the leadership of all-time leading scorer Ashley Joens, efficient Emily Ryan and lockdown defender, Lexi Donarski. Fennelly’s often referred to them as “the Big Three” and for good reason. But the addition of Soares, as well as a healthy Denae Fritz, bolsters the Cyclones’ hopes that they can live up to preseason expectations. Big 12 coaches picked ISU to win the league, edging out Texas.

“I told the kids (Wednesday), I honestly believe we’re a team that could win all 18 (conference) games,” Fennelly said. “We could lose all 18. I really believe that. But, yeah, we were preseason No. 1 by the coaches, so at least they think we’re good.”

So, of course, does Fennelly, whose team set program records for overall wins (28) and Big 12 wins (14) last season while crafting its first Sweet 16 run since 2010. ISU’s sights are set even higher this season because of who returns and who’s been added. Fritz missed most of last season because of chronic shin issues, but she’s coming off her best game as a Cyclone in a 74-62 win over then-No. 25 Villanova. Fritz scored a career-high 13 points and drilled all three of her 3-point attempts in the neutral-floor triumph.

“I feel like that just gives me an extra boost of confidence going into conference play here and helping out my team as much as I can,” Fritz said. “Obviously scoring the ball helps a lot, but it’s (also) other things like rebounding and stopping my person from scoring as much as I can.”

So bring on the Big 12 — for the so-called Big Three, as well as strong supporting players such as Fritz and Soares.

“It’s just really exciting for me,” said Soares, who ranks third nationally with 3.1 blocks per game. “It helps me strive to want to be better as a basketball player."

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