Emily Ryan Makes Season Debut For Iowa State on Sunday
Iowa State guard Emily Ryan made her 2023-24 debut on Sunday against Troy State after missing the first nine games of the Cyclones’ season due to an injury.
Ryan checked into the game in the first half and didn’t play much. She spent nine minutes on the floor, with five points, four rebounds and two assists as the Cyclones beat Troy, 105-68.
Per the Des Moines Register, Ryan was present and taking part in pre-game workouts an hours before Sunday’s game, the first real sign that Ryan could play against the Trojans.
With the victory, the Cyclones improved to 6-4 for the season. Ryan entered the game to a standing ovation from the fans at Hilton Coliseum.
A big standing ovation got Emily Ryan, as she checks in for the first time this season. pic.twitter.com/dbkyYoKNfX
— Connor Ferguson (@cfchangs9) December 17, 2023
Ryan missed the start of the season for what the team termed a “health-related issue,” though that reason wasn’t disclosed. In August, the Register reported that Ryan was rehabbing a lower leg injury.
Ryan’s return bolsters a roster that is exceptionally young, with five freshmen and two additional transfers that are playing significant minutes for a team that won the Big 12 Tournament Championship last season.
The 5-foot-11 senior from Claflin, Kan., is a two-time All-Big 12 selection and a 2020-21 All-Big 12 Freshman selection who had started 70 consecutive games before the injury.
Along with scoring 10.4 points per game last season, she has dished out at least 200 assists in each of her last two seasons with the Cyclones.
Iowa State has one more game against Northern Iowa on Wednesday before it takes a break to prepare for its Big 12 opener against Oklahoma State on Dec. 30.
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