Three months ago, Indiana women’s basketball head coach Teri Moren talked about her new roster and the upcoming season with “excitement.” The offseason was an unprecedented challenge for the 12th-year head coach due to nine players leaving the program, but with the mix of six transfers, the addition of two freshmen and five returners, the Hoosiers had the potential to compete with the top programs in the Big Ten.
Now, we’re halfway through this season. And it’s been an up-and-down campaign for Indiana, as the Hoosiers have an 11-4 overall and 0-3 Big Ten record. Indiana enters the latter half of its season ranked 56th in the NCAA’s NET Rankings and 61st on Torvik’s T-Rank.
The Hoosiers picked up quality wins against Florida State University and Gonzaga University early in the season, but a recent stretch of consecutive losses has brought Indiana back to reality.
So, with half the season down and the rest of Big Ten play ahead for the Hoosiers, I’ve decided to assign letter grades to certain aspects of the team.
Shay Ciezki: A
Probably the easiest player to grade this season has been Ciezki. The senior guard leads the team in multiple categories, including a career-high 23.2 points per game, 127 field goals made and 34 3-pointers.
Ciezki has been playing at an All-Big Ten — some might even say All-American — level this season. She leads the conference in points per game, just above Northwestern senior forward Grace Sullivan’s 23-point average.
The increase in scoring for the Buffalo, New York, native has been helped by an improvement in her efficiency. Ciezki is shooting career highs in 2-point percentage (58.9%) and 3-point percentage (44.7%).
She has also become a more well-rounded scoring threat, as Ciezki’s field goal attempt frequency has increased around the basket, while her 3-point reliance has decreased from last season, per CBB Analytics.
Along with the increase in scoring, she’s had to facilitate her teammates more as the primary ballhandler. Ciezki’s 47 assists are tied for first on the team, but her turnovers have increased to a career-high 3.3 giveaways per game.
Ciezki has been the brightest spot on Indiana’s roster this season. She would have gotten an easy A+, but a recent stretch of less-than-stellar results for her standards — 16 points in back-to-back games — dropped her down. However, Ciezki’s ability to turn close games into Indiana victories has shown her immense value on the court.
Lenée Beaumont: B+
It’s been a tough road for Beaumont to return to Branch McCracken Court after missing last season due to a knee injury. But each game this season has seen the redshirt sophomore guard become more comfortable on the court.
Beaumont’s offensive ability has been apparent, as she’s scored a second-most 15.1 points per game for Indiana this season. The Lisle, Illinois, native remains efficient from the field, shooting 47.2%, and from 3-point range, shooting 45.3%.
As one of the only players on the roster with experience in the Big Ten and playing under Moren, the Hoosiers have relied on Beaumont in big moments. She’s only played less than 30 minutes three times this season and has seen 36-plus minutes of action in Indiana’s three conference games.
The Hoosiers have needed Beaumont’s consistent scoring to pick up wins when other teammates are having more inconsistent nights from the floor. She has only been held to single-digit scoring in one game this season — a four-point performance against the University of Illinois Chicago — and had breakout 23-point games against Florida State and Florida Gulf Coast University.
The freshman duo: B-
Before this season, Moren only had one freshman start a season opener since the 2018-19 season. Indiana’s head coach typically gave heavier minutes to more veteran players. Now, Moren has trusted two first-year players, guard Nevaeh Caffey and forward Maya Makalusky, to excel as starters.
Caffey has been a mainstay in the starting lineup since game one against Lipscomb University. The Warrenton, Missouri, native has averaged 28.8 minutes per contest with a career-high 39 minutes against No. 24 Michigan State on Thursday.
She finished the game with 10 points, improving her season average to 7.3 points per game, but Caffey’s impact has been on the defensive end of the court. The 5-foot-10 Caffey has been given the defensive responsibility to lock down opposing guards, an aspect of her game that she has excelled in early in her collegiate career.
On the other side of the coin, Makalusky’s offensive surge since being added to the starting lineup Dec. 11 — due to sophomore guard Valentyna Kadlecova’s return to the Czech Republic — has played a key role for a struggling offense.
Makalusky’s breakout performance came in that game, when she finished with 22 points and knocked down six 3-pointers. However, the 6-foot-3 Makalusky will need to become a more efficient and well-rounded player on the defensive end to help the Hoosiers win conference games.
Big Ten play: F
The most disappointing aspect of Indiana’s season has been its performance against Big Ten opponents. Three games. Three losses. None being particularly close.
I’ll use Moren’s words after the Hoosiers’ loss to Illinois on Dec. 6: the Hoosiers have been “punched in the mouth.”
Indiana’s 78-57 loss against the Fighting Illini was sandwiched between two blowout wins to nonconference opponents. It was a game that saw the Hoosiers down as much as 36 points entering the fourth quarter.
At the time, it seemed like an outlier result. Now, it looks like a trend.
Indiana was blown out by Minnesota, 71-48, on Dec. 29 and No. 24 Michigan State, 80-60, on Thursday. Even though both games came against teams ranked 15th and 10th, respectively, in the NET rankings, the Big Ten bolsters 12 teams inside the top 50.
The Hoosiers won’t get a chance to play an opponent lower than them in the NET until Jan. 25 against Purdue. With how difficult the Big Ten is, Indiana must beat lesser teams while also picking off a few upsets against higher-ranked squads for a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament.
One of those upset chances comes Sunday, as Indiana travels to College Park, Maryland. The Terrapins rank No. 9 in the NET but have been ravaged by injuries to key pieces this season. Plus, a little revenge against former Indiana player Yarden Garzon could be in the cards.
Follow reporters Savannah Slone (@savrivers06 and srslone@iu.edu) and Max Schneider (maxschn@iu.edu) and columnist Sean McAvoy (@sean_mc07 and semcavoy@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana women’s basketball season.
