This year, the Hoosiers have seven new players. But Moren has blended stars like Holmes and Berger, who missed eight games with a knee injury, with the returners and transfers to form a team that ranks sixth nationally at 81.5 points per game. The transfers Sydney Parrish (Oregon) and Sara Scalia (Minnesota), along with Yarden Garzon, a freshman from Israel, combine to average 33 points per game.
Moren tries to inspire her players with phrases like “If you’re juiceless, you’re useless,” meaning they need to bring energy and effort to everything they do.
“One that she reiterates the most is, ‘How you do anything is how you do everything,’ because that can translate on and off the court, from taking everything seriously and knowing that every detail matters,” Holmes said.
The winner of Indiana’s first game will advance to face either No. 8 Oklahoma State or No. 9 Miami in the second round in Bloomington. If the Hoosiers advance out of the weekend, they will travel to Greenville, S.C., for the round of 16 rather than Seattle, the site of the other two regionals.
“Nothing against Seattle, but that’s a long trip,” Moren said. “We’re thrilled with where we’re being sent. I don’t know how these guys feel, but I think a great dose of sunshine is in our future — we hope.”
The women’s Final Four is in Dallas, and Holmes and her teammates hope to be playing there — and creating new history in the annals of Indiana basketball.
“Indiana has such a rich history, but not particularly on the women’s side,” Holmes said. “So that’s been a goal since I’ve been here, I know since Coach Moren’s been here, to really build that reputation on the women’s side.
“We have the fans, we have the facilities, we have everything you need to build a great program.”
