Indiana women's basketball is entering a new era following the graduation of all-time leading scorer Mackenzie Holmes and sharpshooter Sara Scalia. Fortunately, IU coach Teri Moren's track record of molding winning teams gives Hoosier fans every reason to believe the cream and crimson will be just fine as they move forward post-Homes and Scalia — just look at how IU's consistency last season despite losing All-American guard Grace Berger.
This offseason, Moren and her coaching staff looked to the transfer portal in hopes of finding Holmes' and Scalia's replacements. In Tennessee transfer forward Karoline Striplin and Penn State transfer guard Shay Ciezki, Indiana should have the necessary plug-and-play additions to pair with its nine returners, including three All-Big Ten starters.
With Chloe Moore-McNeil, Sydney Parrish and Yarden Garzon back to help lead the starting unit, Indiana possessesplenty of continuity and winning experience to compete atop the Big Ten and nationally. Add in rising juniors Lexus Bargesser and Lilly Meister, along with rising sophom*ores Julianna LaMendola and Lenne Beaumont, plus more and the Hoosiers should be well-stocked to make another run at a Big Ten championship.
Life after Holmes won't be easy to reconcile with, but Moren has earned the benefit of the doubt.
With that, here is a projected look at how Indiana's rotation might shake out this fall following its departures and newcomer arrivals this offseason.
STARTERS:
G Chloe Moore-McNeil (5th year)
G Shay Ciezki (Jr.)
W Sydney Parrish (5th year)
W Yarden Garzon (Jr.)
F Karoline Striplin (Sr.)
Comments:Three of Indiana's five starting spots are likely cemented with the returns of fifth-year point guard Chloe Moore-McNeil, fifth-year wing Sydney Parrish and junior wing Yarden Garzon.
Moore-McNeil was IU's do-it-all playmaker last season as she blossomed from a reliable role player into a bonafide lead ball-handler, top defender andAll-Big Ten selection. The 5-foot-11 veteran is everything Moren looks for in a big-bodied point guard, and with another offseason of development there's a very real chance Moore-McNeil is in contention for a potential All-American-type campaign.
Parrish missed 10 games midway through last season with a foot injury, but her importance to the Hoosiers never waned.The former Indiana Miss Basketball averaged 10.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting a career-best 40.0 percent from 3-point range. Parrish's toughness, physicality and edgebrings a vital dimension to the Hoosiers, and as a fifth-year senior she'll be asked to shoulder a bigger scoring load. If all goes to plan, a career seasonshould be in store for the 6-foot-2 wing.
From the moment Garzon arrived in Bloomington, she put the Big Ten andcountry on notice as one of the premier 3-point shooters. However, Garzon's sophom*ore campaign proved that she's far more than just a sharpshooter as she played virtually every position for the Hoosiers — even center in short spurts — while maintaining a 42.2 percent clip from 3-point range. If Garzon can add to her scoring repertoire as an upperclassman, she might only be scratching the surface of her potential.
The final two starting spots are up for grabs following Scalia and Holmes' graduations, but the addition of Penn State transfer guard Shay Ciezki is a logical replacement at starting guard. The 5-foot-7 junior was among the Big Ten's best shooters over the last two seasons, shooting 38.9 percent from deep on 5.5 attempts per game. The Lancaster, N.Y., native is uniquely familiar with the Hoosiers, and now she'll have an opportunity to fill a much-needed role next season.
In the post, replacing Holmes and everything she meant to Indiana is impossible, but the Hoosiers don't need her replacement; rather, they just need all of the pieces to come together. In adding Tennessee transfer Karoline Striplin, who appeared in 91 games with 39 startsacross three seasons, the Hoosiers are getting a highly-experienced post player who has flashed scoring potential at times.
There's a strong case to be made that junior forward Lilly Meister, who served as Holmes' top backup in each of the last two seasons, will claim the starting spot. However, we'll give the nod to Striplin for now due to her experience and production at Tennessee. It wouldn't be much of a shock, though, if Striplin and Meister split minutes evenly, along with IU's other frontcourt options.
Indiana women's basketball offseason outlook: Who's staying, who's going, who's coming
TOP BENCH OPTIONS:
G Lexus Bargesser (Jr.)
F Lilly Meister (Jr.)
W Julianna LaMendola (So.)
G Lenee Beaumont (So.)
F Sharnecce Currie-Jelks (Jr.)
IN THE MIX:
G Henna Sandvik (Jr.)
F Sydney Fenn (Fr.)
F Faith Wiseman (Fr.)
Comments:If any of the aforementioned five players has a breakout season, potentially more than one, I will not besurprisedone bit. Plenty of minutes will be up for grabs as Moren and Indiana attempt to find the right lineup combinations, and that means increased opportunities for role players to emerge.
Last season, Lexus Bargesser, Lilly Meister and Julianna LaMendola saw the most playing time of the bench group, though their minutes were sporadic from game to game. Bargesser gained valuable starting experience last season when Parrish went down with a midseason injury, andthe 5-foot-9 juniorappears poised toascend asIU's sixth-woman in 2024-25.
Meister might ultimately slot into the starting lineup instead of Striplin, but much of Meister's playing time in her first two seasons came in short spurts to spell Holmes for a few minutes each game. What does Meister look likeinextended minutes? That's the question she'll need to answer, especially as a post-scorer and shot-blocker, after playing the role of understudy behind Holmes.
LaMendola and Lenee Beaumonteachflashed their potential as freshmen last season, though their minutes decreased down the stretch and into the postseason. LaMendola's frame, positional versatility and scoring arsenal is intriguing — in the same mold as Parrish — and she should be afforded a longer leash to play as a sophom*ore. Beaumont is a combo guard who can play on or off the ball, and at 6-foot-1 she can slide up and down the lineup with ease. The former Indiana Miss Basketball will have to add size to her frame to keep up with the Big Ten's physicality, but all the skills are in place to be a future starter.
Sharnecce Currie-Jelks is arguably the biggest wildcard of any Indiana playerentering next season. After being named OVC Freshman of the Year at UT-Martin, the 6-foot-2 forward transferred to IU last season but did not appear in any games and redshirted. Currie-Jelks previously suffered a season-ending injury just three games into her sophom*ore campaign, and it appears she was still hampered by it last season. After a year away, it remains to be seenhow quicklyCurrie-Jelks can knock off the rust, but if the answer is sooner than later, then the Hoosiers will haveapotentiallyhigh-impactfrontcourt option that few are talking about right now.
