Indiana University Athletics
Truth Tellers – Hoosiers Regain Winning Edge
1/20/2024 12:20:00 PM | Women's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Truth might set you free, but it can still hurt.
Wisdom sometimes comes from pain, defeat can teach lessons victory can't, and Mackenzie Holmes vouches for it all.
Every Indiana Hoosiers does.
"We had some tough film to watch," the senior center says, "but we knew it would make us better."
A decisive loss at No. 3 Iowa became a decisive home win over Minnesota. All is back on track as the No. 16 Hoosiers (15-2 overall, 6-1 in the Big Ten) play at rival Purdue (9-7, 2-3) on Sunday, but in this you're-only-as-good-as-your- next-performance reality, this much is clear:
Every goal remains out there for a big-picture team pushing above snapshot adversity if it plays to its potential.
"The Big Ten doesn't wait for anybody," Holmes says. "We have to move on, game after game. They're going to keep coming. We have to learn from the Iowa game but can't let it affect us and become a snowball effect."
IU lost at Stanford and won 13 in a row. Its current one-game winning streak was fueled by an Iowa game film session that, under coach Teri Moren's blunt direction, showed painful truths.
"It's a pride thing," Holmes says. "It hurt all of us to hear Coach question if we were ready to play that game. We all took it personally. We hate losing more than we like to win.
"Hearing that and having that loss woke us up. We don't want to have that conversation again. It's the last time we need to have it."
IU's title aspirations have a strong foundation. It has elite talent with Holmes, Sara Scalia, Chloe Moore-McNeil, Sydney Parrish and Yarden Garzon, plenty of big-game experience and a winning tradition fueled in recent years by a WNIT title, an Elite Eight berth, a top-5 national ranking, a No. 1 NCAA tourney seed and a relentless run of 20-victory seasons.
Still, blowout road losses to Stanford and Iowa confirm that more work is needed, more coaching points made, and Moren embraces both because they are necessary and because she knows her players can handle it.
"We try to pride ourselves in being truth tellers," she says. "I expect them to be truth tellers to each other, as well."
Against Iowa, truth didn't center on the loss as much as the way it happened.
"We under-performed," Moren says. "We looked disconnected and uninspired. That was frustrating.
"We didn't build this program on those things. We built this program on toughness and grittiness."
Moren flashed back to early in her IU coaching days when Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall crowds of 1,500 to 2,000 were typical rather than today's 8,000-plus average.
"Even if we lost," she says, "people would say we played to the end, we'd fight you tooth and nail regardless of talent or what's happening in the game.
"I didn't see that (against Iowa). I wanted to remind them how this program has been built; that we have those core beliefs that we'll play it out and play the game the right way.
"That was my message. It was spirited, but needed to be said."
The best teams, the championship teams, are always player led. Coaches can only do so much. It's those in the battle, those who get knocked down and get back up, those who sweat and push and care, who set the deciding tone.
That sometimes means teammates pushing teammates, not the back-biting and tension that destroys chemistry, but the constructive leadership and tough talk that fuels championships.
"At times, it's difficult to tell your teammates what you think and what they need to hear," Moren says. "That's what I'm here for. I tell them individually of their role and how important they are to the team. I remind them of what we need them to do, what the expectations and standards are."
When those standards and expectations are met, look out.
"When we're playing fast and sharing the ball, when we're intentional about what our defensive assignments are and are super focused on that, we are a good team," Moren says. "The best remedy is to get back on the floor as fast as you can."
On Sunday, the floor comes at Mackey Arena. Purdue has lost three straight, the latest coming at Penn State earlier in the week.
The Boilers are led by guards Abbey Ellis (14.3 points, 3.3 rebounds) and Madison Layden (11.5, 3.2) and forward Caitlyn Harper (10.6, 4.0).
IU, which once struggled in this series, now dominates it. It has won nine straight, and 12 of the last 13 meetings. Still, that won't mean anything if the Hoosiers don't play to their potential, if they don't execute and defend to their coach's demands.
"We have to learn and get better," Scalia says.
Beyond Sunday, there are plenty of remaining big games, highlighted by a Feb. 22 rematch with Iowa at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall and then all the March postseason possibilities.
Through it all, one thing remains clear:
Truth sometimes really does set you free.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Truth might set you free, but it can still hurt.
Wisdom sometimes comes from pain, defeat can teach lessons victory can't, and Mackenzie Holmes vouches for it all.
Every Indiana Hoosiers does.
"We had some tough film to watch," the senior center says, "but we knew it would make us better."
A decisive loss at No. 3 Iowa became a decisive home win over Minnesota. All is back on track as the No. 16 Hoosiers (15-2 overall, 6-1 in the Big Ten) play at rival Purdue (9-7, 2-3) on Sunday, but in this you're-only-as-good-as-your- next-performance reality, this much is clear:
Every goal remains out there for a big-picture team pushing above snapshot adversity if it plays to its potential.
"The Big Ten doesn't wait for anybody," Holmes says. "We have to move on, game after game. They're going to keep coming. We have to learn from the Iowa game but can't let it affect us and become a snowball effect."
IU lost at Stanford and won 13 in a row. Its current one-game winning streak was fueled by an Iowa game film session that, under coach Teri Moren's blunt direction, showed painful truths.
"It's a pride thing," Holmes says. "It hurt all of us to hear Coach question if we were ready to play that game. We all took it personally. We hate losing more than we like to win.
"Hearing that and having that loss woke us up. We don't want to have that conversation again. It's the last time we need to have it."
IU's title aspirations have a strong foundation. It has elite talent with Holmes, Sara Scalia, Chloe Moore-McNeil, Sydney Parrish and Yarden Garzon, plenty of big-game experience and a winning tradition fueled in recent years by a WNIT title, an Elite Eight berth, a top-5 national ranking, a No. 1 NCAA tourney seed and a relentless run of 20-victory seasons.
Still, blowout road losses to Stanford and Iowa confirm that more work is needed, more coaching points made, and Moren embraces both because they are necessary and because she knows her players can handle it.
"We try to pride ourselves in being truth tellers," she says. "I expect them to be truth tellers to each other, as well."
Against Iowa, truth didn't center on the loss as much as the way it happened.
"We under-performed," Moren says. "We looked disconnected and uninspired. That was frustrating.
"We didn't build this program on those things. We built this program on toughness and grittiness."
Moren flashed back to early in her IU coaching days when Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall crowds of 1,500 to 2,000 were typical rather than today's 8,000-plus average.
"Even if we lost," she says, "people would say we played to the end, we'd fight you tooth and nail regardless of talent or what's happening in the game.
"I didn't see that (against Iowa). I wanted to remind them how this program has been built; that we have those core beliefs that we'll play it out and play the game the right way.
"That was my message. It was spirited, but needed to be said."
The best teams, the championship teams, are always player led. Coaches can only do so much. It's those in the battle, those who get knocked down and get back up, those who sweat and push and care, who set the deciding tone.
That sometimes means teammates pushing teammates, not the back-biting and tension that destroys chemistry, but the constructive leadership and tough talk that fuels championships.
"At times, it's difficult to tell your teammates what you think and what they need to hear," Moren says. "That's what I'm here for. I tell them individually of their role and how important they are to the team. I remind them of what we need them to do, what the expectations and standards are."
When those standards and expectations are met, look out.
"When we're playing fast and sharing the ball, when we're intentional about what our defensive assignments are and are super focused on that, we are a good team," Moren says. "The best remedy is to get back on the floor as fast as you can."
On Sunday, the floor comes at Mackey Arena. Purdue has lost three straight, the latest coming at Penn State earlier in the week.
The Boilers are led by guards Abbey Ellis (14.3 points, 3.3 rebounds) and Madison Layden (11.5, 3.2) and forward Caitlyn Harper (10.6, 4.0).
IU, which once struggled in this series, now dominates it. It has won nine straight, and 12 of the last 13 meetings. Still, that won't mean anything if the Hoosiers don't play to their potential, if they don't execute and defend to their coach's demands.
"We have to learn and get better," Scalia says.
Beyond Sunday, there are plenty of remaining big games, highlighted by a Feb. 22 rematch with Iowa at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall and then all the March postseason possibilities.
Through it all, one thing remains clear:
Truth sometimes really does set you free.
Players Mentioned
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