Indiana women's basketball head coach Teri Moren talks landscape, new-look team

BLOOMINGTON — The college basketball landscape is rapidly changing and Indiana women’s basketball head coach Teri Moren has seen firsthand how quickly things can change in just a year.

“It’s always changing and it’s changing so fast,” Moren told Rivals. “For us, it’s day in and day out looking at the changes but also adjusting. We’re really lucky here because we have a great athletic director in Scott Dolson who is willing and ready to change with everything. I think that’s where it starts.”

Last offseason, Indiana was one of few teams with no one to enter the transfer portal. This year, they lost six players to the portal. 

“It’s disappointing,” Moren said. “I’m all about wanting to retain our roster. The year before, we were able to do that with everybody and keep our entire squad. So it was a drastic change for us…We’ve brought so many new players in. As disappointing as it was early on, in a strange way, you have new faces and new people in your program and it rejuvenated me in kind of a strange way…with some of these new faces, they’re learning this for the first time and that’s been cool for me.”

After suffering a Round of 32 loss to South Carolina in last season’s NCAA Tournament, Moren set out to fill a specific need. 

“I wanted to get bigger and I wanted to get more athletic,” Moren said. “We tried to go out and find those athletic kids. We brought in pieces that were at institutions, whether it was in the ACC or even Big Ten, that are coming in and are going to help us with that.” 

Among the few returners are guards Shay Ciezki and Lenee Beaumont. Beaumont sat out the entirety of the 2024-25 season after suffering a knee injury, but she’s back and is likely to make a big impact for the Hoosiers. 

“Beaumont has been a kid that’s been waiting on the sidelines,” Moren said. “She was out a year ago and she’s been really good. She’s a gym rat, so that’s been exciting for us.” 

One of the Hoosiers biggest transfer additions is sophomore post player Zania Socka-Nguemen from UCLA. 

“I think Z is going to be really special in that 5 spot,” Moren said. “She’s going to have a great opportunity in front of her to be the anchor down there on the low block for us…We’re counting on her to come and play immediately. I think she’ll be a fan favorite as well.” 

While Indiana added plenty via the transfer portal, they also brought in two Top-100 freshmen – Indiana native Maya Makalusky and 5-10 guard Nevaeh Caffey. With plenty of new faces, the Hoosiers enter the 2025-26 campaign with questions – but also with optimism.