As Indiana women’s basketball moves into the offseason, things could change quickly.
That’s always the case in college sports, in the age of NIL and the transfer portal. But for IU, some change has to be expected given the losses of foundational players like Mackenzie Holmes and Sara Scalia. The Hoosiers have plenty of key pieces returning, but could look to the transfer portal to fill some holes as well.
Who’s back
Classes listed are for next season’s roster
Sydney Parrish, fifth-year guard — Had Parrish avoided the foot injury that cost her seven games during Big Ten play, she would’ve been an all-conference player this year. Her scoring was down a bit from her first year at IU, but she posted career-highs in assists and rebounds per game, as well as field-goal and 3-point percentages. With Scalia gone, opponents may key in on her even harder, and IU will need her to overcome that. The Hoosiers may also need her to take on a larger usage rate in their offense, as they’ll most likely get less production out of the post than they did from Holmes. But Parrish, when healthy and locked in, is capable of all that and more.
Chloe Moore-McNeil, fifth-year guard — Moore-McNeil made big strides as an offensive weapon this past season, becoming more aggressive in the second half of the year. She increased her scoring output, became a more efficient shooter, and still managed to raise her assist production. It’s hard to see her being a primary scorer, but she should continue to be one of Indiana’s top secondary options next year while it leans on her defensive and distribution prowess. CMM became a much more prominent leader this year, as well; she and Parrish will be the the team’s clear leadership duo next season.
Yarden Garzon, junior wing — The Israeli had a challenging year, given the situation in her homeland. On the court, she had plenty of highs and lows. But her overall statistics wound up pretty similar to her strong freshman year. Garzon expanded her game this past season — she added some post-up ability, which came in handy late in the year when IU had to play her at center for brief spells when Holmes and Lilly Meister got hurt. The sophomore is a lethal 3-point shooter and is unfazed by big moments. She has the potential to become one of the Big Ten’s best players if she can develop more consistency, cut down some of her turnovers, and avoid foul trouble.
Lexus Bargesser, junior guard — Bargesser made real strides in year two at IU. She showed she could handle a starting role while Parrish was out, through good basketball IQ — one of Bargesser’s biggest assets was simply being in the right positions at the right times. She could be a good option to permanently enter the starting lineup next season, but her inconsistent shooting would limit her impact if she doesn’t improve. She revamped her free-throw form midseason and found success, so perhaps tweaks to her jump shot are imminent in the offseason.
Lilly Meister, junior forward — Meister played a bit more this past season than she did as a freshman, but there were only so many minutes to go around in the post behind Holmes. But she improved her shooting efficiency and continued to be a strong rebounder in limited action. Meister recorded 10.3 rebounds per 40 minutes, the best mark of any Hoosier aside from Arielle Wisne, who played just 22 minutes all season. IU can’t expect her to be Mackenzie Holmes, but if Meister can maintain efficiency on the glass and take on a bigger scoring load, she’ll do well.
Henna Sandvik, junior guard — The Finland native played nearly the exact same number of minutes as a sophomore (155) as she did as a freshman (154). Sandvik’s numbers only marginally improved, and some went down. Based on her first two seasons, it’s hard to see an expanded role for her as a junior, but it can’t be ruled out if she made significant progress in the offseason.
Sharnecce Currie-Jelks, junior (or redshirt sophomore) forward — The 2022-23 OVC player of the year missed nearly the entire season while dealing with personal matters. Her status is unclear — despite succeeding at UT Martin, Currie-Jelks needed a lot of development after transferring to Indiana. If she returns, there’s no discernible reason why IU wouldn’t have her use a redshirt for 2023-24 to preserve the year of eligibility. But depending on the nature of those personal matters, it’s reasonable to wonder if she might re-enter the portal to move closer to home.
Jules LaMendola, sophomore wing — LaMendola looked raw at times, but she flashed strong potential throughout the season. She’s already a solid rebounder, at 7.8 rebounds per 40 minutes, which was fourth on the team among players who averaged at least five minutes per game. If she can continue growing and refining her game during the offseason, it’s easy to see her moving into a bigger role off IU’s bench next season.
Lenée Beaumont, sophomore guard — Beaumont has plenty to work on this offseason, but she displayed some scoring prowess in her limited opportunities this past season. She scored at least eight points in six games this year. Like LaMendola, the long-term outlook is bright. She, too, could see a bigger role next year, depending on what IU does in the transfer portal.
Portal needs
The Hoosiers have two incoming freshmen, in forwards Faith Wiseman and Sydney Fenn. Wiseman is ranked No. 56 in ESPN’s recruiting rankings; Fenn is unranked. But IU is high on both players, and they could have chances at playing time off the bench as freshmen.
So Indiana has four scholarships available entering this offseason. And given how much production the Hoosiers are losing, and with the roster in more of a transitioning state than it was at this time last year, they may look to be more aggressive in the transfer portal.
Here are a few things IU could target in the portal.
- Indiana will probably want to bolster its guard depth in some way. It has enough guards to feel confident in on the court, but another high-end guard to play in Scalia’s spot wouldn’t hurt. Even if IU doesn’t add a guard to plug into the starting lineup, adding at least one outside shooter would be a sensible idea.
- IU lacked a dynamic shot-creator in some of its biggest games this season — the type of player like Grace Berger, who could regularly create her own shots. Scalia, Moore-McNeil, and Parrish displayed that ability occasionally, but not consistently enough. Garzon, Beaumont, and LaMendola have the potential to fill that sort of role, but need to continue developing.
- On a similar note, the Hoosiers could use some more athleticism in general. Teams like Illinois and Michigan State with quick guards who pushed the pace on IU caused a lot of problems. With Scalia leaving and no incoming freshman guards, Moren would have to address this in the portal if she wants to add any more quickness.
- Meister looks like the logical choice to fill Holmes’ spot in the starting lineup. But the Hoosiers may want to add another post player, knowing they likely can’t rely on her for as high a usage rate as Holmes gave them. If Currie-Jelks is back and able to see more playing time next year, IU would have her, Wiseman, and Fenn behind Meister in the post. Bringing in another more experienced body could make some sense.
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