Feb. 17 (UPI) — Nate Heise, the brother of U.S. women’s hockey star Taylor Heise, helped Iowa State top Houston just hours after his sister scored in the Olympics.
The former Heise went 3 for 3 from 3-point range, including a go-ahead shot from downtown, in a 70-67 win over No. 2 Houston on Monday in Ames, Iowa. The redshirt senior totaled 11 points for the No. 6 Cyclones.
Earlier Monday, nearly 5,000 miles away, 25-year-old Taylor Heise lit the lamp for the Americans’ second goal in a 5-0 thrashing of Sweden in a 2026 Winter Olympics semifinal, clinching a spot in the gold medal game for Team USA.
“Obviously, it was cool earlier when she scored a goal and they won and they’re on to the championship,” Heise told reporters in Ames. “So, pretty good day.”
Heise, a 6-foot-5 guard, said he expected his family text message group chat to be more active Tuesday, when his parents and sister woke up in Milan, Italy. The Cyclones contributor said he watches his sister’s events between his hoops obligations.
“It’ll be fun because I think they went to sleep before the [basketball] game started, so they’ll wake up to some fun texts,” Heise said.
Nate Heise says his go-ahead shot to help beat No. 2 Houston beats his sister’s goal in the Olympics today vs Sweden. pic.twitter.com/2Zeycqy3AO— Ben Hutchens (@Ben_Hutchens_) February 17, 2026
Cyclones forwards Joshua Jefferson and Blake Buchanan chipped in 12 and 10 points, respectively, in the Cyclones’ narrow win over the Cougars. Freshman guard Kingston Flemings scored a game-high 22 points for the Cougars (23-3).
Heise, 23, averaged 5.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game through 26 appearances this season for the 23-3 Cyclones. His older sister, who also plays for the PWHL’s Minnesota Frost, totaled four points, with two goals and two assists, over her first appearances at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Heise and her U.S. women’s hockey teammates will take on rival Canada in the gold medal game at 1:10 p.m. EST Thursday in Milan. The Cyclones will battle the No. 23 BYU Cougars (19-6) at 10:30 p.m. Saturday in Provo, Utah.