Indiana University Athletics
‘Aggressors’ -- Ciezki, Beaumont To Set Fast Hoosier Pace
11/6/2025 8:29:00 PM | Women's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Passive won't make it. Shay Ciezki preaches it. Lenée Beaumont works it. Teri Moren demands it.
Moren's newest Indiana women's basketball team -- faster, more athletic -- is built to attack, and these two guards will lead the get-physical way
"Coach Moren put that (physical) standard out there last summer," Ciezki says. "We're the aggressor. We'll take the first punch. We want to be aggressive. That won't change."
Players change, more so for this season than ever before, but Moren's defense-oriented, share-the-ball approach doesn't. It's the foundation for 10 straight 20-win seasons, six straight NCAA tourney appearances and the belief that, even with a massive roster overhaul, these Hoosiers are primed for big things.
Take Ciezki, a sharp-shooting senior and the only returning main contributor from a 20-13 team. She's coming off a 22-point effort in IU's season opener win over Lipscomb. It's a follow up to last season's strong down-the-stretch play in which, over the final nine games, she averaged 15.6 points, 2.6 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 53.1 percent from three-point range.
Moren is counting on Ciezki as a catalyst.
"We are going to ask Shay to play on the ball, off the ball, with the ball in her hands, especially because of all the newness that we have," Moren says. "We have to have someone in that position, especially early on, who understands pace, rhythm, how we want to score, when we want to play fast, when we want a good shot."
Ciezki is more than up to the task, plus a big dose of leadership.
"The first thing is my leadership skills," she says. "I'm the most experienced player. I've played in the Big Ten for four years. I'm focused on leading the team and helping them any way I can.
"Everyone is new. Everyone is new to our offense and defense. I want to be that big voice in practice to help them get through the struggles."
That there will be struggles is a given, but not necessarily a problem, Ciezki's added.
"I want to see people's weaknesses. That's where you can grow the most, when we struggle as a team. You learn better when you fail.
"When we turn the ball over, how do we respond? What's our body language like? I want to see how my teammates respond and grow from that. With championship teams, it's all about the level of response."
Ciezki's passion and commitment to IU and to Moren and her staff is obvious. Even when six players transferred after last season, she says she had no interest in joining them.
"This place is my home, in meeting people, connecting with the coaching staff, the relationships I built here. I was excited to stay the course and be part of something great."
Then there's Beaumont, a former Illinois Miss Basketball who missed all of last season with a knee injury. The redshirt sophomore is back and ready to contribute in any way she can. Against Missouri S&T that meant 11 points, five assists, three rebounds and a steal in 23 minutes.
Ciezki expresses admiration for the way Beaumont handled last season's injury and rehabilitation, and the way she's led, practiced and, now, played.
"She's a great player," Ciezki says. "She's hitting buckets out there. It's awesome to see her playing and doing her role."
Returning to action, Beaumont says, was "surreal" after not playing since her freshman season, when she averaged 3.0 points in 9.6 minutes over 30 games for the Hoosiers.
"There's gratitude for the process and for all the people who helped me," she says. "It's been a long journey. I was so happy to be out there for my teammates.
"I felt comfortable. That wasn't the case early on. After first, I didn't want to take the ball downhill. I didn't want contact. It was a long road."
And it's just getting started.
"We have a lot of fun playing together," Beaumont says.
Fun includes developing chemistry with new players such as promising transfers Zania Socka-Nguemen (UCLA) and Phoenix Stotijn (Arkansas), and talented freshmen Nevaeh Caffey and Maya Makalusky.
Beaumont jokes that she and Ciezki had to teach the newcomers the IU fight song to sing after the exhibition. Ciezki says, "The girls that Coach Moren brought in, we don't have to do much vocal leading. We lead by example. We gelled well this summer. We make sure we help them through the bad days. We hold everyone accountable."
In the exhibition, the Hoosiers had 21 assists with 36 made baskets. They had 11 turnovers, and made 15 of 35 three-pointers.
Ciezski says the goal for every game is 20 assists and 12 turnovers.
"It's fun passing the ball around, especially when we know we'll make shots."
Adds Beaumont: "Coach has given a lot of us the green light. We're constantly encouraging our teammates to keep shooting, to keep letting it go."
As for the season, Ciezki jokes that, being the oldest player on the team, she's the "old head." She and Beaumont played big roles in helping to recruit the transfers, and then making the new players feel comfortable once they arrived.
The result – "We have a great team."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Passive won't make it. Shay Ciezki preaches it. Lenée Beaumont works it. Teri Moren demands it.
Moren's newest Indiana women's basketball team -- faster, more athletic -- is built to attack, and these two guards will lead the get-physical way
"Coach Moren put that (physical) standard out there last summer," Ciezki says. "We're the aggressor. We'll take the first punch. We want to be aggressive. That won't change."
Players change, more so for this season than ever before, but Moren's defense-oriented, share-the-ball approach doesn't. It's the foundation for 10 straight 20-win seasons, six straight NCAA tourney appearances and the belief that, even with a massive roster overhaul, these Hoosiers are primed for big things.
Take Ciezki, a sharp-shooting senior and the only returning main contributor from a 20-13 team. She's coming off a 22-point effort in IU's season opener win over Lipscomb. It's a follow up to last season's strong down-the-stretch play in which, over the final nine games, she averaged 15.6 points, 2.6 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 53.1 percent from three-point range.
Moren is counting on Ciezki as a catalyst.
"We are going to ask Shay to play on the ball, off the ball, with the ball in her hands, especially because of all the newness that we have," Moren says. "We have to have someone in that position, especially early on, who understands pace, rhythm, how we want to score, when we want to play fast, when we want a good shot."
Ciezki is more than up to the task, plus a big dose of leadership.
"The first thing is my leadership skills," she says. "I'm the most experienced player. I've played in the Big Ten for four years. I'm focused on leading the team and helping them any way I can.
"Everyone is new. Everyone is new to our offense and defense. I want to be that big voice in practice to help them get through the struggles."
That there will be struggles is a given, but not necessarily a problem, Ciezki's added.
"I want to see people's weaknesses. That's where you can grow the most, when we struggle as a team. You learn better when you fail.
"When we turn the ball over, how do we respond? What's our body language like? I want to see how my teammates respond and grow from that. With championship teams, it's all about the level of response."
Ciezki's passion and commitment to IU and to Moren and her staff is obvious. Even when six players transferred after last season, she says she had no interest in joining them.
"This place is my home, in meeting people, connecting with the coaching staff, the relationships I built here. I was excited to stay the course and be part of something great."
Then there's Beaumont, a former Illinois Miss Basketball who missed all of last season with a knee injury. The redshirt sophomore is back and ready to contribute in any way she can. Against Missouri S&T that meant 11 points, five assists, three rebounds and a steal in 23 minutes.
Ciezki expresses admiration for the way Beaumont handled last season's injury and rehabilitation, and the way she's led, practiced and, now, played.
"She's a great player," Ciezki says. "She's hitting buckets out there. It's awesome to see her playing and doing her role."
Returning to action, Beaumont says, was "surreal" after not playing since her freshman season, when she averaged 3.0 points in 9.6 minutes over 30 games for the Hoosiers.
"There's gratitude for the process and for all the people who helped me," she says. "It's been a long journey. I was so happy to be out there for my teammates.
"I felt comfortable. That wasn't the case early on. After first, I didn't want to take the ball downhill. I didn't want contact. It was a long road."
And it's just getting started.
"We have a lot of fun playing together," Beaumont says.
Fun includes developing chemistry with new players such as promising transfers Zania Socka-Nguemen (UCLA) and Phoenix Stotijn (Arkansas), and talented freshmen Nevaeh Caffey and Maya Makalusky.
Beaumont jokes that she and Ciezki had to teach the newcomers the IU fight song to sing after the exhibition. Ciezki says, "The girls that Coach Moren brought in, we don't have to do much vocal leading. We lead by example. We gelled well this summer. We make sure we help them through the bad days. We hold everyone accountable."
In the exhibition, the Hoosiers had 21 assists with 36 made baskets. They had 11 turnovers, and made 15 of 35 three-pointers.
Ciezski says the goal for every game is 20 assists and 12 turnovers.
"It's fun passing the ball around, especially when we know we'll make shots."
Adds Beaumont: "Coach has given a lot of us the green light. We're constantly encouraging our teammates to keep shooting, to keep letting it go."
As for the season, Ciezki jokes that, being the oldest player on the team, she's the "old head." She and Beaumont played big roles in helping to recruit the transfers, and then making the new players feel comfortable once they arrived.
The result – "We have a great team."
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
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