Iowa State women’s basketball forward Stephanie Soares out of season with torn ACL

Iowa State women’s basketball forward Stephanie Soares will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL in her left knee, the program announced. Here’s what you should know:

• Soares was injured early in Sunday’s game against Oklahoma.
• Originally from Brazil, he enrolled at Iowa State University this summer after spending four years at an NAIA-level master’s degree.
• Soares is averaging 14.4 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in 13 games for Ames.
• Iowa (10-3) ranks 15th in the nation.

athletic Instant analysis:

What Soares Injury Means for Cyclone

Iowa State had the fourth-ranked offense in the nation last season, according to Her Hoop Stats, and regained most of its team to improve on last year’s Suite 16 finish. Her seven of the 2021-22 Top 8 Cyclones are back, including preseason All-American Ashley Jones. What Iowa State needed was a defensive reinforcement, and the program found it in the form of her 6-foot-6 center Soares, who she transferred to after playing four years at the NAIA. A dominant presence inside, Cyclone limits opponents to 50% of her rim shots and 23.1% of her rim shots. The team’s defense has improved by nearly 15 points per 100 possessions, and with Soares on the court, they have the biggest off-on-off gap of any player on the team. – Merchant

How Iowa State will replace Soares’ defensive ability

Cyclone has now lost the fulcrum of its defensive identity. Junior Nyamel Diu joins in as the starting center, but at 6-foot-2 she’s a less impressive figure. In Iowa State’s first game without Soares on Sunday (she was sidelined two minutes later with an injury), Oklahoma had 16 shots at the rim. The Cyclones are giving up just his 14.6 rim attempts per game all season. Iowa State needs to switch perimeters more to reduce downhill aggression. The team also needs to rely more on its offense, which is still a top 10 team nationally, to beat opponents rather than stop them. is difficult to see as a Big 12 title contender, let alone a Final 4 threat. – Merchant

what they say

“This is not how I thought I would finish the season, but I am grateful for the opportunity I had at Iowa State,” Soares said in a statement. , and I could not have done this without the support of the fans at the Hilton Coliseum, and I know God will give me strength to overcome this challenge in my life. We look forward to being there for them and helping them reach our goals and make the most of this special season.”

“There is nothing worse than having a player end the season with an injury,” said Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly. “We are heartbroken for Steph. And we are proud of the impact it has made on Iowa State University.”

(Photo: David Butler II/USA Today)