In a year of unbelievable highs for Indiana athletics, the 2025-26 season has been a low point for Indiana women’s basketball.
In the past 10 seasons, Indiana finished with double-digit conference losses only once; in the 2018-19 season, the Hoosiers ended Big Ten play with an 8-10 record.
Indiana matched that tally just 10 games into its Big Ten schedule this season, as the Hoosiers lost in convincing fashion to No. 9 Michigan 95-67 off another weak defensive performance Thursday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington.
Since the end of non-conference play, Indiana has struggled to limit teams’ offenses. Prior to Thursday, the Hoosiers had conceded 80 or more points in five of their last seven games.
Prior to its matchup with Michigan, Indiana had already proved to be one of the worst defensive teams in the Big Ten. They rank at the bottom of the conference in steals per game with 3.9, blocks per game with one and assist to turnover ratio with 0.55.
The Hoosiers also rank at the bottom of the Big Ten in both offensive and total rebounds per game with 6.1 and 28.3, respectively. It’s a ranking that hasn’t been helped by the limited playing time from sophomore forward Zania Socka-Nguemen.
Socka-Nguemen, who leads Indiana with 8.7 rebounds per game, has dealt with injury so far this season, only playing in half the Hoosiers’ Big Ten matches. Junior forward Edessa Noyan has started in her place but has struggled to deal with the physicality of other Big Ten opponents.
The Hoosiers knew the scoring potential of the Wolverines heading into Thursday. Michigan leads the Big Ten in points per game with 85.6. The Wolverines offense is led by their trio of sophomore guards in Olivia Olson, Syla Swords and Mila Holloway. The trio all registered 10 or more points, with Olson leading Michigan with 27 points.
Against Michigan, the Hoosiers committed 23 turnovers, their third-highest mark of the season. Michigan capitalized time after time on Hoosier mistakes, racking up 29 fastbreak points and 34 total points off of turnovers.
Indiana was utterly outmatched inside the paint, constantly being outmuscled for rebounds as Michigan found easy buckets through putbacks. The Wolverines scored 19 layups and accounted for a dominant 54 points inside the paint as Noyan continued to struggle defensively inside the paint.
Michigan attacked the basket relentlessly, earning trip after trip to the free throw line. All five of Indiana’s starters had at least three fouls, with senior guard Shay Ciezki and freshman forward Maya Malakusky both fouling out in the fourth quarter.
By the time the final buzzer sounded, the disparity between the two sides’ physicality was obvious. Michigan pulled down 37 rebounds compared to Indiana’s 25. The Wolverines secured 14 offensive rebounds compared to just one for the Hoosiers. It took two and a half quarters for Indiana to reach double figures for rebounds on the night.
For Indiana head coach Teri Moren, it was an all-too-familiar sight.
“This is where we continue to kind of do the same stuff over and over again,” Moren said postgame. “And that’s very frustrating for us. And, you know, I don’t have a lot of answers right now for you guys.”
Redshirt sophomore guard Lenée Beaumont, who led Indiana with six turnovers, was even more critical of the team’s performance versus Michigan.
“We got to be in positions to at least win the game, if we’re being completely honest,” Beaumont said. “It’s not even really a game towards the end, and the only way to face it is tomorrow at practice, tomorrow watching film, tonight watching film by yourself, like I expect better myself and I know we all do.”
Indiana’s season is on the verge of collapse. The Hoosiers are currently in danger of missing the Big Ten Tournament for the first time ever. If the team can’t stem the tide of its defensive issues, Indiana’s year may end with the regular season.
“Nothing kills me more than where we are,” Moren said. “As far as not being able to win a Big Ten game, but I’m still in charge of this program and I have to make sure that I show up every day and try to help us get better. And, you know, that’s really all I know.”
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.
