The IU men's team might receive a lion's share of the spotlight in Bloomington, but there have been some sneakily spectacular ladies that have made their way through Assembly Hall since the turn of the century mark. Not only that, but the women have been the ones that have produced the most success in recent memory. This season, they have picked up the slack for the fellas and have given the cream and crimson fanbase a reason to remain optimistic.
With the women giving so much to this program, we felt it was only right that we shed some of the spotlight on them. With that in mind, here are the top 5 lady ballers that have played at IU during the 21st century.
5. Jill Chapman
YEARS PLAYED: 1998 - 2002 (4 Seasons)
CAREER STATS: 121 GP, 15.4 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 0.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.6 BPG, 54.2% FG/36.4% 3/59.8% FT
At 6'5", Chapman used her height to dominate the interior. She possessed sneaky agility for a center, and was well known for her ability to run the floor. She also had great touch around the basket, making it even more difficult for defenders to stop her. Chapman led the Hoosiers in scoring and rebounding in each of the 1998-99, 1999-2000, and 2000-01 campaigns.
4. Grace Berger
YEARS PLAYED: 2018 - 2023 (5 Seasons)
CAREER STATS: 148 GP, 12.4 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 45.2% FG/30.6% 3/74.2% FT
Berger is one of the most beloved basketball players, both mens and womens, to ever call Assembly Hall home. The #7 pick in the 2023 WNBA draft did not have to travel far for her relocation, as she remains in the Hoosier state as a member of the Indiana Fever. She has a compilation of accolades to evidence her impact at Indiana.
3. Amanda Cahill
YEARS PLAYED: 2014 - 2018 (4 Seasons)
CAREER STATS: 135 GP, 14.0 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.4 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 49.0% FG/38.8% 3/78.5% FT
Amanda Cahill is one of the more versatile players to ever suit up in the candy stripes. The forward used her size to battle on the boards while her jumpshot made her a nightmare matchup for defenses. She holstered a quite the flamethrower, and has gone on to play some professional ball overseas.
2. Tyra Buss
YEARS PLAYED: 2014 - 2018 (4 Seasons)
CAREER STATS: 135 GP, 17.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 4.3 APG, 2.2 SPG, 0.1 BPG, 41.3% FG/31.4% 3/74.2%% FT
Cahill more or less served as the sidekick to Tyra Buss, who up until about a week ago was the all-time leading scorer in the history of IU women's basketball. Buss did a ton on the court during her time in B-Town, and now she is doing a lot off the court. She played briefly in the WNBA, has done some broadcasting with the Big Ten Network, and has been an assistant coach for the University of Milwaukee women's basketball team since 2021.
1. Mackenzie Holmes
YEARS PLAYED: 2019 - 2024 (5 Seasons)
CAREER STATS: 139 GP, 17.2 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 0.8 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.7 BPG, 63.8% FG/27.0% 3/73.1% FT
Not only is Mackenzie Holmes one of the best ballers in the Big Ten this season, she will inevitably go down as one of the greatest ballers in the Big Ten EVER. The all-time leading scorer in the history of IUWBB may be most well known for her scoring ability, but she is so much more than a source of points.