"Being 13 years old and seeing adults talking about your body is crazy."

BarcelonaAudi Crooks is 20 years old, but she's used to the constant buzz. The center, who plays for Iowa State University, is breaking a number of conventions. Her videos dominating the NCAA have gone viral. The American stands 6'3" and is accustomed to both the praise (she's been dubbed Lady Shaq) and the fatphobia she's endured since she was a teenager. "The first time ESPN published a post about me, I was in seventh or eighth grade and still underdeveloped. Being 13 years old and seeing adults talking about you and your body more than your game is crazy. It was too much, impossible to handle," Crooks admits. The player found the refuge she needed in her family and in the locker room, where her teammates rallied around her. The advice her mother gave her always stays with her. "Just try to kill them with kindness because that way you won't give them ammunition to fight back," she recalls.

"Nobody is prepared for it," she admits. One of her latest displays came against Valparaiso University. In just 20 minutes on the court, the center racked up 43 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists with 78% shooting from the field. She missed only 5 of her 23 attempts. Her dominance was total. "The best part is that she didn't go looking for points; the points found her," said Bill Fennelly, her coach. "I wasn't feeling well that day," Crooks said.

Her coach and teammates emphasize her lack of selfishness. "It's not the destination that matters, it's the journey, so I'm incredibly grateful to be surrounded by wonderful people," says Crooks, who surpassed Tonya Burns' record of 42 points in a single game, set on January 18, 1984. "Maybe there are also 1,000 [votes] about my skills, my character, how I smile, and how I treat others," explains Crooks, who comes from an athletic family. Her father, Jimmie Crooks, was a college basketball star. When he died in 2021, his daughter got a tattoo on her right arm in his memory. Verses from the Bible accompany the word octopuses"I guess it's something spiritual, but I can still feel their presence," he says. His mother, Michelle Vitzthum, is one of Bishop Garrigan's all-time leading scorers. Crooks grew up playing games against his mother on a hoop in their driveway. The number 55 he wears on his jersey serves as a tribute to his parents.

A star since the age of 15

Crooks, who weighed 10 pounds and measured 28 inches at birth, had a normal childhood. As a young girl, she participated in a jazz club and played trumpet in the school band. She also played drums in church while practicing shot put and volleyball. At just 15 years old, her name began to gain popularity in the basketball world, and top American universities tried to recruit her. Advised by her uncle, Matt Vitzthum, a football coach, Crooks chose Iowa, where she is currently pursuing a degree in criminal justice and sociology.

Leading international analysts place her among the favorites to occupy the top positions in the draft from the WNBA, a competition that has never had a player with her characteristics.