Iowa State's Stephanie Soares is trying to get extra season of eligibility. The latest:
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Iowa State women’s basketball coach Bill Fennelly said Thursday the NCAA has asked for more information regarding Stephanie Soares as the organization considers whether to grant the Cyclones star an extra season of eligibility
Fennelly provided the update following his team’s workout at Municipal Auditorium on Thursday. Iowa State is scheduled to play Baylor in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament on Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Cyclones will be without Soares who suffered a season-ending injury 13 games into her career.
Fennelly hopes the NCAA’s interest in gathering more information on Soares, who suffered a torn ACL in January, is a positive sign in her quest to play another season for Iowa State. Fennelly is hoping the NCAA makes its decision before Soares must declare for the April 10 WNBA Draft.
“They know we need to know by the end of March,” Fennelly said.
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Fennelly said Soares has 10 days before the draft to declare if she’s entering or not. He said that date could change depending on Iowa State’s postseason future.
“It’s kind of a moving target,” Fennelly said.
Getting Soares back for another season would be a gigantic boost for the Cyclones. The 6-foot-6 forward/center was a star in her brief time for Iowa State, averaging 14.4 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. Soares, a two-time NAIA player of the year, gave Iowa State a post presence it has rarely had.
Soares and the Cyclones have a compelling case to make with the wavier request. Soares also sat out the 2020-21 season at The Master’s after suffering a torn ACL in the same knee. She then played significant time in Iowa State's first 12 games before going down early in contest No. 13 this season.
“Our compliance has done an amazing job,” Fennelly said. “Our medical staff’s done an amazing job of doing all the paperwork.”
Even if the NCAA grants Soares a waiver to play next season, it’s not a guarantee she’ll be back in Ames. Fennelly has said WNBA teams have been eyeing her as a potential draft pick and have asked about her recovery.
When the season is over, Iowa State will seek feedback from WNBA teams about where she could possibly go in the draft. If she’s expected to be an early draft pick, Soares could pass on coming back to Iowa State for another season. Fennelly recently said Soares would like to return to Iowa State for another season.
Tommy Birch, the Register's sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He's the 2018 and 2020 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468. Follow him on Twitter @TommyBirch.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Bill Fennelly provides update on Stephanie Soares' NCAA waiver request
