Jadda buckley biography

AMES, Ia. — With a spotlight beaming down on her family’s gravel driveway at their Mason City home, Jadda Buckley would bounce her basketball and hoist shot after shot into the night air.

As an 11-year-old, Buckley would try to dribble off the small pieces of rock and take as many shots as she could so she could get better at basketball.

It all played a part in Buckley becoming one of the best offensive weapons for the Iowa State women’s basketball team, which is back in the NCAA Tournament. The Cyclones will face No. 22 Syracuse in their first game of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday in Storrs, Conn.

“I always told her, if you can play on a gravel basketball court, you could play on a regular hardwood floor court,” said her dad, Darren Buckley.

It was on that driveway that Buckley worked to become one of the best point guards in the Big 12 Conference. And over time, she’s solidified herself as one of the best players in Iowa State history.

Download the free Cyclone Insider app today: iPhone or iPad | Android phone or tablet

Buckley is having perhaps her best season yet. She’s averaging 14.0 points, 5.1 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game.  She’s etched her name in school history, where she ranks sixth all-time in school history with 453 career assists.

“I don’t think anyone can defend Jadda in my eyes,” said Iowa State guard Bridget Carleton.

Drive to improve

Buckley started as a soccer player. She hung posters of soccer star Mia Hamm in her room at the family’s house. Buckley was even on her way back from a tryout with a soccer team in Des Moines when she stopped in Ames to try basketball. Buckley, who was in middle school at the time, had played some pickup basketball, but that’s it.

She had no idea what she was getting herself into as she lugged her soccer jug in, wearing her sweatpants. Buckley barely knew how to shoot, let alone run plays, as she tried out for the AAU team the All-Iowa Attack.

“At first, I hated it,” Buckley said. “I was like, I want to go back to soccer, but my mom was big into once you start, you have to finish that type of thing. I kept playing and we had games and practices and then I fell in love with it.”

Buckley struggled early on. She was so bad that she wasn’t going to make the team in that first tryout had it not been for teammate Myah Mellman’s dad speaking up and telling the coaches to give her a chance.

Buckley was determined to make the most of the opportunity. She went to the YMCA, a local gym and her backyard to shoot. The backyard hoop proved to be challenging — and educational. The gravel driveway made dribbling difficult.

Buckley begged for her dad to cement the driveway but he wouldn’t. He instead shelled out money for AAU tournaments and trips around the country. The decision paid off. Dribbling on the driveway helped turn Buckley into a talented ball handler.

“It was absolutely frustrating,” Buckley said. “I would yell at him all the time or I’d throw temper tantrums and just (yell), ‘This is stupid. I'm going to a court.’”

Buckley kept dribbling and kept getting better. She enlisted the help of her dad and her mom, Mary Buckley. The two would take turns rebounding for her as she tossed up shots. Darren wouldn’t get home from work until 6 p.m. most nights. When it would get dark and Buckley couldn’t shoot, the family would open the garage and use car lights to light up the driveway.

Then Darren decided to install a 400-watt metal light to overlook the hoop. The light was so bright that it lit up the neighbors’ backyard and some of the lawns across the street.

“They knew that’s one of the things she loved to do as a kid,” Darren said. “They were fine with it. We had pretty good neighbors.”

Buckley was determined to get better as she grew up. And her parents were willing to do whatever it took. The two, who weren’t basketball fans growing up, tried to learn as much about the game as possible to help train their daughter. Mary would drive Jadda around the country for AAU tournaments.

The drive to improve was so strong that Mary would drive Jadda an hour and half to Ames four or five times a week to work out with Lyndsey (Medders) Fennelly. Fennelly, a former Iowa State star, is married to Iowa State assistant Bill Fennelly, son of Cyclones coach Bill Fennelly.

Lyndsey Fennelly said Buckley would drive to Ames, work out for an hour and a half and then make the trip back to Mason City. Some days, Buckley would send Fennelly a video of her doing 15 minutes of extra ball handling drills in her garage after she got home.

After Mason City fell in the semifinals of the state basketball tournament during the 2012-13 season, Buckley texted Fennelly asking her to put her through a workout.

“It was a combination of sweat and tears,” Fennelly said. “She welcomed every challenge I threw at her and she was often the instigator.”

Buckley was a four-year starter at Mason City, where she connected on a school-record 131 3-pointers. She became a leader for the team too. She showed that when she delivered a passionate speech to the Mason City School Board urging them to spare the job of assistant coach Tom Kirby.

Landing at Iowa State

Iowa State was always going to be the spot. Buckley grew up going to Iowa State games, followed the Cyclones’ men's basketball program. Her favorite player was Iowa State guard Will Blalock. Blalock wore the No. 11, one of the reasons why Buckley selected it.

Buckley’s success in high school drew the attention of schools like Drake, Northern Iowa and Iowa. But Buckley liked coach Bill Fennelly’s aggressive game style. She also liked the closeness of Ames. Her family often drives down for games and heads back home after. Following late tips, they’ll all gather together at a local Perkins.

On the court, Buckley has had an impact since Day 1. Buckley started 28 of 31 games her freshman season and averaged 10.9 points, 3.3 assists and 2.3 rebounds. There were high hopes for the following season. But the season was derailed when Buckley was limited to just nine game and missed the reminder of the season due to a stress fracture in her right foot. Buckley received a medical redshirt.

The following season, she appeared in 30 games and averaged 11.4 points, 6.0 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game. This season, she’s been the guiding force behind Iowa State’s strong finish that saw the Cyclones solidify a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

All the hard work Buckley has put in over the years is paying off.

“It’s a great joy of mine to watch her do everything she’s done this season,” Lyndsey Fennelly said.