Iowa State women's basketball freshman Reagan Wilson earning playing time right away

Iowa State women’s basketball freshman Reagan Wilson earning playing time right away

Posted by Admin November 2, 2024 Basketball

AMES – During a practice about three or four weeks ago, Iowa State women’s basketball player Reagan Wilson was battling with the posts when she took an unexpected elbow to her nose. Wilson rushed to a doctor’s office to get X-rays but left her shoes at the gym, just in case there was time for her to return to practice.

“Fifteen or 20 minutes later she came running back in with a mask on,” said Cyclones coach Bill Fennelly. “She broke her nose and got a mask and started practicing. We have a lot of kids that you wouldn’t see them for a while. She’s a tough-minded kid that understands what she has to do to play at this level.”

Wilson’s toughness is among the reasons that she’s been able to stand out so far this season. She has earned instant playing time and is expected to get more when No. 9 Iowa State opens the regular season against Chicago State at 11 a.m. Monday at Hilton Coliseum.

“I think from the very first day, Reagan has competed at a collegiate level,” Fennelly said. “Sometimes the pace from high school to college stuns people, and that was not the case with her.”

Wilson, a 5-foot-8 freshman guard from Indiana, was a star in high school, averaging 16.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 2.5 assists per game as a senior. But when she arrived at Iowa State, playing time looked like it was going to be hard to come by. Iowa State’s roster is full of talented guards.

The Cyclones already had star point guard Emily Ryan, who decided to take advantage of the extra season of eligibility awarded by the NCAA due to the COIVD-19 pandemic and return for another year. Arianna Jackson, who had filled in for Ryan at the start of last season, also returned as a sophomore having locked up a starting spot.

Being behind those two didn’t bother Wilson, who could have easily been a candidate for a redshirt this season. Playing time didn’t concern her during her freshman season. Wilson said she just wanted to help the Cyclones in any way possible.

“Honestly, just doing whatever the coaches need me to do, whether that be no minutes or all the minutes,” Wilson said.

When Wilson got on campus, she quickly impressed Iowa State’s coaches. Fennelly raved about her work ethic and basketball I.Q., and then that toughness showed up when she suffered a fracture during practice. It has forced her to wear a protective mask that she had on during Iowa State’s exhibition game against Central on Wednesday.

“I don’t have to get surgery, which is super nice,” she said with a smile.

Wilson also doesn’t have to worry about redshirting. Fennelly has been easing Ryan into the season with a minutes restriction, giving players like Wilson opportunities in practice. She’s taken advantage of them and was rewarded with 21 minutes of playing time in Iowa State’s 105-53 win over Central. Wilson tallied nine points, four assists and two rebounds. She connected on 3-of-4 shots from beyond the arc, once again proving she’s worthy to be on the floor right away.

“I think she has a confidence in herself that she can do the things we need,” Fennelly said. “She’s proven that and continued to get better and continues to earn opportunities to play.”

Tommy Birch, the Register’s sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He’s the 2018, 2020 and 2023 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468