Tommy Birch | Des Moines Register

The Iowa State women’s basketball team’s latest transfer portal pickup can help them this upcoming season and possibly several years beyond that.

Alex-Anne Bessette, a sophomore to be from Loyola, announced on social media on April 19 that she plans to play basketball for the Cyclones this upcoming season.

Bessette was a 6-foot-2 guard/forward who earned instant playing time during her first season at Loyola, starting 32 of the 33 games she played this past season as a freshman.

The Canada native averaged 11.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game while playing 30.1 minutes per contest during her only season at Loyola. Bessette connected on 42% of her shots from the field and blocked a team-high 29 shots.

Bessette was a star before she got to high school as a three-time All-Canadian and AmeriCup silver medalist. She helped Team Canada win silver at the 2024 FIBA U18 Women’s Americas Championships in Columbia.