Indiana University Athletics
Embrace the Challenge – No Backing Down for Moore-McNeil
3/17/2023 4:15:00 PM | Women's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Chloe Moore-McNeil cuts to the top of the key at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall's Branch McCracken Court and buries a three-pointer just as a song blasts through the cheers, shouts and claps of this Indiana NCAA tourney practice.
Pink rocks, "So What," with fighting words. "I got a brand new attitude, and I'm gonna wear it tonight," she sings, among other things. It's a song of empowerment, of toughness and resiliency amid adversity. It reflects, in so many ways, Moore-McNeil and all the top-seeded Hoosiers in this most defining of basketball seasons.
"She's done so much for us," coach Teri Moren says. "She has to guard the best offensive perimeter players, then she has to run our team."
Let others back down. Moore-McNeil, a 5-11 junior guard with a 6-3 wingspan, is too busy rising to challenges. That will continue Saturday as IU (27-3) faces No. 16-seed Tennessee Tech (23-9) in a first-round matchup.
That approach helped her earn second-team All-Big Ten and make the conference's all-defensive team. It's a big reason why she draws some of the nation's toughest perimeter defensive assignments.
"It's a challenge guarding such different, dynamic, great players," she says. "I respect all of them. I embrace that role. It's fun, that I get to guard the best players in the country."
Moore-McNeil's fun might be another's misery, but as Moren says, "What sticks out is her toughness. This (defensive challenge) is something she embraces. For her to show up the way she has speaks to who she is."
Moren saw the potential while recruiting her. Moore-McNeil was a slender, but fierce do-it-all player who twice earned Tennessee Class A Miss Basketball honors at Greenfield High School.
"That's one of the reasons why we recruited her," Moren says. "We liked her length, we liked her athleticism, but you have to do the work. You have to want to take on the role your coaches give you."
That Moore-McNeil does reflects her deep basketball roots. Her mother played at Jackson State. Her father founded and helped coach a traveling youth team.
Beyond that was her fierce drive to improve.
"We've watched her get better every year," Moren says. "As a freshman, maybe she weighed a buck-15. She got with Kevin Konopasek, our strength and conditioning coach, who is phenomenal. We watched her body develop."
After reserve roles her first two years, Moore-McNeil broke into the starting lineup this season and has made the most of it, setting career highs in scoring (9.7 points), rebounding (4.0), assists (4.9), field-goal shooting (43.9 percent), free-throw shooting (85.7 percent) and steals (44).
For perspective, as a freshman, Moore-McNeil shot 47.1 percent from the line. Now, put her on the line at your own risk.
"We watched her compete in practice," Moren says. "She has this toughness factor. It doesn't show up in the stat sheet, but we know how competitive she is."
IU standout senior guard Grace Berger saw this early on.
"She was always really mature, really competitive, really smart," Berger says. "You could tell that even early in her freshman year. She wasn't getting a ton of playing time, but she was competitive, almost like an upperclassman."
Now, Moore-McNeil is an upperclassman with a major on-court responsibility. That amplified when Berger missed eight games earlier this season with a knee injury.
"She's taken on the leadership role and being super-confident," Berger says. "Seeing her put in the work to get to where she is now is special."
All-America forward Mackenzie Holmes vouches for that.
"She was quiet when she first came here. She proves that if you work hard every day and stick to the process, you will reap the benefits. She's an outstanding example of that. Her freshmen year she had limited minutes and didn't get in most games. To go from that to second-team All Big Ten is incredible."
*****
Tragedy comes to everyone if you live long enough. For Moore-McNeil, it came on her 16th birthday. Her mother, Corenda Shenae McNeil, took a nap with 8-month-old daughter, O'Daliz, on her chest on June 5, 2018, and never woke up. She died of an enlarged heart at age 41.
Moore-McNeil, her father Tory McNeil, and sisters O'Daliz, Kylee and Orin overcame the pain. Chloe dedicated her junior and senior seasons to her mother, and led her Greenfield team to an undefeated senior season.
"She is so resilient," Moren says.
In high school, Moore-McNeil thrived on the court (2,598 points, more than 500 assists, more than 500 rebounds and more than 400 steals) and off it (achieving a 3.96 grade point average).
That academic achievement continues. Last year, she made academic All-Big Ten, and was named a Big Distinguished Scholar. She continues to do what's asked of her, and then more.
"This is a group in which all of them look to see what they can do to help the team," Moren says. "Chloe understands what we need her to do is be a great defender. She's taken on that challenge and embraced it and has thrived.
"We've watched her transform into such a steady, dependable player."
*****
Moore-McNeil is part of a formidable backcourt designed to fuel a championship run. Yes, Holmes is an almost unstoppable inside presence (22.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 56 blocks, 34 steals, which is why Moren says, "I'd put her up against anybody in the country"), but postseason success almost always requires exceptional guard play.
The Hoosiers are loaded with it.
Besides Moore-McNeil, there's Berger (12.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, a 128-56 assist-to-turnover ratio), Sydney Parrish (12.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 53 three-pointers, 49 steals), Yarden Garzon (11.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 91 assists, team-leading 65 three-pointers) and Sara Scalia (9.8 points, 53 three-pointers).
They have the consistent outside shooting they've lacked in recent years, the experience and poise to thrive under crunch-time pressure, and the preparation that comes from a challenging schedule.
"We brought in a great freshman class and some awesome transfers," Moore-McNeil says. "Last year, we had a great defensive-minded team. We have that this year, but the difference is the three-point shooting we've brought in. That's taken us to an entirely different level. I'm grateful to be part of that."
*****
The Hoosiers haven't played in almost two weeks, and only three times since Feb. 19. Two of those games were losses -- by a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Iowa's Clark and a blown 24-point lead to Ohio State in the Big Ten tourney semifinals.
"That's given us great motivation to practice and figure out the things we didn't do well enough, and why we lost," Moren says. "Try to shore up all of those things.
"It was also a great time to rest. We had an incredibly difficult conference season. It was good to have some extra time off."
When it comes to fresh legs, Berger says her injury has provided a silver lining.
"I missed a lot of time, so I'm probably fresher than I normally am. I feel great."
So does Holmes.
"I'm feeling good again," Holmes says. "That Big Ten season is no joke. It's very physical."
Berger, a five-star recruit out of Louisville's Sacred Heart High School, should once again get plenty of fan support this weekend.
"It's been great to see people I haven't seen in years make the drive up from Louisville to support me and the team. I'm fortunate to come from a place that loves basketball."
Berger, Holmes and Moore-McNeil can draw on their Elite Eight and Sweet Sixteen experiences from the previous two years, plus that of this season's grueling Big Ten run (seven conference teams made the 68-team field), for an advantage few NCAA tourney participants can match.
"Any chance you get to play in the high-level games we have helps you," Berger says. "The Big Ten is the best conference in the country. We're going against tournament-ready teams every night. That helps us along with our past experiences in NCAA tournaments."
It could also help the Hoosiers, once a NCAA tourney afterthought, handle the pressure that come from being a No. 1 seed for the first time, and even having former U.S. President Barrack Obama pick them to reach the national title game in his March Madness bracket.
"To see he has us in his final game is crazy," Moore-McNeil says. "We try to keep all the outside noise to a minimum."
Adds Moren: "We're old. We're a veteran team. They realize if they lose, they're done. The season is over. If that doesn't give you a sense of urgency, what does?
"I try to take the pressure off of that. Let's be who we've been all season. No pressure. I want them playing with total freedom and joy."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Chloe Moore-McNeil cuts to the top of the key at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall's Branch McCracken Court and buries a three-pointer just as a song blasts through the cheers, shouts and claps of this Indiana NCAA tourney practice.
Pink rocks, "So What," with fighting words. "I got a brand new attitude, and I'm gonna wear it tonight," she sings, among other things. It's a song of empowerment, of toughness and resiliency amid adversity. It reflects, in so many ways, Moore-McNeil and all the top-seeded Hoosiers in this most defining of basketball seasons.
"She's done so much for us," coach Teri Moren says. "She has to guard the best offensive perimeter players, then she has to run our team."
Let others back down. Moore-McNeil, a 5-11 junior guard with a 6-3 wingspan, is too busy rising to challenges. That will continue Saturday as IU (27-3) faces No. 16-seed Tennessee Tech (23-9) in a first-round matchup.
That approach helped her earn second-team All-Big Ten and make the conference's all-defensive team. It's a big reason why she draws some of the nation's toughest perimeter defensive assignments.
"It's a challenge guarding such different, dynamic, great players," she says. "I respect all of them. I embrace that role. It's fun, that I get to guard the best players in the country."
Moore-McNeil's fun might be another's misery, but as Moren says, "What sticks out is her toughness. This (defensive challenge) is something she embraces. For her to show up the way she has speaks to who she is."
Moren saw the potential while recruiting her. Moore-McNeil was a slender, but fierce do-it-all player who twice earned Tennessee Class A Miss Basketball honors at Greenfield High School.
"That's one of the reasons why we recruited her," Moren says. "We liked her length, we liked her athleticism, but you have to do the work. You have to want to take on the role your coaches give you."
That Moore-McNeil does reflects her deep basketball roots. Her mother played at Jackson State. Her father founded and helped coach a traveling youth team.
Beyond that was her fierce drive to improve.
"We've watched her get better every year," Moren says. "As a freshman, maybe she weighed a buck-15. She got with Kevin Konopasek, our strength and conditioning coach, who is phenomenal. We watched her body develop."
After reserve roles her first two years, Moore-McNeil broke into the starting lineup this season and has made the most of it, setting career highs in scoring (9.7 points), rebounding (4.0), assists (4.9), field-goal shooting (43.9 percent), free-throw shooting (85.7 percent) and steals (44).
For perspective, as a freshman, Moore-McNeil shot 47.1 percent from the line. Now, put her on the line at your own risk.
"We watched her compete in practice," Moren says. "She has this toughness factor. It doesn't show up in the stat sheet, but we know how competitive she is."
IU standout senior guard Grace Berger saw this early on.
"She was always really mature, really competitive, really smart," Berger says. "You could tell that even early in her freshman year. She wasn't getting a ton of playing time, but she was competitive, almost like an upperclassman."
Now, Moore-McNeil is an upperclassman with a major on-court responsibility. That amplified when Berger missed eight games earlier this season with a knee injury.
"She's taken on the leadership role and being super-confident," Berger says. "Seeing her put in the work to get to where she is now is special."
All-America forward Mackenzie Holmes vouches for that.
"She was quiet when she first came here. She proves that if you work hard every day and stick to the process, you will reap the benefits. She's an outstanding example of that. Her freshmen year she had limited minutes and didn't get in most games. To go from that to second-team All Big Ten is incredible."
*****
Tragedy comes to everyone if you live long enough. For Moore-McNeil, it came on her 16th birthday. Her mother, Corenda Shenae McNeil, took a nap with 8-month-old daughter, O'Daliz, on her chest on June 5, 2018, and never woke up. She died of an enlarged heart at age 41.
Moore-McNeil, her father Tory McNeil, and sisters O'Daliz, Kylee and Orin overcame the pain. Chloe dedicated her junior and senior seasons to her mother, and led her Greenfield team to an undefeated senior season.
"She is so resilient," Moren says.
In high school, Moore-McNeil thrived on the court (2,598 points, more than 500 assists, more than 500 rebounds and more than 400 steals) and off it (achieving a 3.96 grade point average).
That academic achievement continues. Last year, she made academic All-Big Ten, and was named a Big Distinguished Scholar. She continues to do what's asked of her, and then more.
"This is a group in which all of them look to see what they can do to help the team," Moren says. "Chloe understands what we need her to do is be a great defender. She's taken on that challenge and embraced it and has thrived.
"We've watched her transform into such a steady, dependable player."
*****
Moore-McNeil is part of a formidable backcourt designed to fuel a championship run. Yes, Holmes is an almost unstoppable inside presence (22.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 56 blocks, 34 steals, which is why Moren says, "I'd put her up against anybody in the country"), but postseason success almost always requires exceptional guard play.
The Hoosiers are loaded with it.
Besides Moore-McNeil, there's Berger (12.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, a 128-56 assist-to-turnover ratio), Sydney Parrish (12.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 53 three-pointers, 49 steals), Yarden Garzon (11.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 91 assists, team-leading 65 three-pointers) and Sara Scalia (9.8 points, 53 three-pointers).
They have the consistent outside shooting they've lacked in recent years, the experience and poise to thrive under crunch-time pressure, and the preparation that comes from a challenging schedule.
"We brought in a great freshman class and some awesome transfers," Moore-McNeil says. "Last year, we had a great defensive-minded team. We have that this year, but the difference is the three-point shooting we've brought in. That's taken us to an entirely different level. I'm grateful to be part of that."
*****
The Hoosiers haven't played in almost two weeks, and only three times since Feb. 19. Two of those games were losses -- by a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Iowa's Clark and a blown 24-point lead to Ohio State in the Big Ten tourney semifinals.
"That's given us great motivation to practice and figure out the things we didn't do well enough, and why we lost," Moren says. "Try to shore up all of those things.
"It was also a great time to rest. We had an incredibly difficult conference season. It was good to have some extra time off."
When it comes to fresh legs, Berger says her injury has provided a silver lining.
"I missed a lot of time, so I'm probably fresher than I normally am. I feel great."
So does Holmes.
"I'm feeling good again," Holmes says. "That Big Ten season is no joke. It's very physical."
Berger, a five-star recruit out of Louisville's Sacred Heart High School, should once again get plenty of fan support this weekend.
"It's been great to see people I haven't seen in years make the drive up from Louisville to support me and the team. I'm fortunate to come from a place that loves basketball."
Berger, Holmes and Moore-McNeil can draw on their Elite Eight and Sweet Sixteen experiences from the previous two years, plus that of this season's grueling Big Ten run (seven conference teams made the 68-team field), for an advantage few NCAA tourney participants can match.
"Any chance you get to play in the high-level games we have helps you," Berger says. "The Big Ten is the best conference in the country. We're going against tournament-ready teams every night. That helps us along with our past experiences in NCAA tournaments."
It could also help the Hoosiers, once a NCAA tourney afterthought, handle the pressure that come from being a No. 1 seed for the first time, and even having former U.S. President Barrack Obama pick them to reach the national title game in his March Madness bracket.
"To see he has us in his final game is crazy," Moore-McNeil says. "We try to keep all the outside noise to a minimum."
Adds Moren: "We're old. We're a veteran team. They realize if they lose, they're done. The season is over. If that doesn't give you a sense of urgency, what does?
"I try to take the pressure off of that. Let's be who we've been all season. No pressure. I want them playing with total freedom and joy."
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