By the time sophomore forward Zania Socka-Nguemen entered the court for her first Big Ten minutes of the season against then-No. 7 Maryland, Indiana had already started its conference schedule off on the wrong foot.
Despite exiting nonconference play with an 11-1 record, Indiana women’s basketball dropped its first three conference games without Socka-Nguemen by 20 or more points each and failed to compete with the physicality of the conference’s other schools.
Minnesota, in particular, dominated Indiana inside the paint, pulling down 18 offensive rebounds and scoring 19 second-chance points. The Hoosiers, by contrast, scored no second chance points off two offensive rebounds in the 71-48 defeat on Dec. 29.
In her return against Maryland on Jan. 4, the Hoosiers ultimately fell to 0-4 in the Big Ten after the 82-67 defeat, though she played 17 minutes, logging four points, three rebounds and four personal fouls.
Indiana failed to earn its first Big Ten win of the 2025-26 season Thursday, falling to No. 25 Nebraska 78-73 at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Socka-Nguemen's return to the starting lineup was a factor in the uptick of Indiana’s most recent performance. The UCLA transfer tallied 19 points and 11 rebounds against Nebraska in just 24 minutes. She averaged 13 points and nine rebounds per game through the Hoosiers’ first seven games.
However, following a 76-72 victory over Gonzaga University on Nov. 28, Socka-Nguemen missed Indiana’s next eight games with a leg injury. Junior forward Edessa Noyan started in Socka-Nguemen's place but was less of a physical presence inside the paint for the Hoosiers.
Maryland was an opportunity for Socka-Nguemen to shake off some of the rust that accumulated after over a month on the sidelines. Against Nebraska on Thursday, she was given the starting nod over Noyan.
“’Z’ was great tonight,” Moren said postgame. “She played a lot of minutes and just getting her back in the mix has been really important for us. And I think that as time goes and more games come our way, we’re gonna continue to see her even more comfortable.”
In the past few games, the Hoosiers were susceptible to conceding offensive rebounds and second-chance points. On Thursday, Socka-Nguemen had nine defensive rebounds, her physical presence allowing fewer extra possessions to the opposition against Nebraska.
Socka-Nguemen's offense was efficient as well. She shot 9 for 12 from the field against the Cornhuskers, tying her highest point tally of the season. She has shot 66.2% from the field through nine games, the highest percentage at Indiana and one of the highest in the Big Ten.
Oftentimes players need multiple matches to return to game speed, especially after a prolonged injury layoff. It only took Socka-Nguemen two games to put up an early-season stat line.
“I guess my rhythm is back now,” Socka-Nguemen said postgame. “I was out for five weeks, and it’s hard to stay in rhythm when you’re out for five weeks. So, it was that first game at Maryland, I was hoping to get the rust off.”
With Socka-Nguemen's presence down low, Indiana has a better chance of competing in its upcoming Big Ten matches. Moren reiterated how the staff is focused on player development rather than results, and she saw another improvement against Nebraska.
Slowly but surely, the Hoosiers are acclimating to the Big Ten and the physicality that is required to compete. While it has not translated to results in the win-column, Moren knows she has a team that is not quite yet the finished product.
“Hopefully as a unit,” Moren said, “the five that we have out there will find some synergy that we had prior to her going out with her injury.”
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.
