Conversations With the 1982-83 Indiana Women's Basketball Team, Last to Win Big Ten Regular Season Title

Enjoy these exclusive interviews with five members of the 1982-83 Indiana women's basketball team, the last team before this year's bunch to win a Big Ten regular season title. From recruitment stories to the conference crown and beyond, these women have built an unbreakable bond thanks to Indiana basketball.

Haley Jordan | Feb 28, 2023

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Indiana Hoosiers

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Last Sunday, the Indiana women's basketball team defeated Purdue to win the first Big Ten regular season title since 1983. Nine members of that 1982-83 team were in attendance to witness what hadn't been done in 40 years.

“Just joy,” former guard/forward Melissa Leckie said. “I mean you’re talking 40 years out so you really look as a parent and sit back and go ‘look at them, this is a memory they’re going to remember forever.’”

Leckie and her teammates do. Forty years ago on a Sunday, the Hoosiers defeated Ohio State in Assembly Hall, which led to the team winning a share of the Big Ten regular season title plus a bid to the NCAA Tournament. At the time, it was only a field of 32 teams.

1982-83 Indiana Women's Basketball Team / IU Archives

“I think we had about 3,000 people at that game and thought, ‘oh my, this is awesome’,” former point guard Amy Metheny said. “We thought that was amazing.”

This year, the Hoosiers had 17,222 fans to watch Indiana beat the Boilermakers 83-60 for the title as Indiana has been pulling in record crowds this season.

“When we pulled up and saw the line out the door three hours before the game, it almost made me cry,” former forward Melinda Sparkman said.

Members of the 1983 Indiana University women's basketball team are honored for their Big Ten Championship during the first half of the Indiana versus Purdue women's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023. — Members of the 1983 Indiana University women's basketball team are honored for their Big Ten Championship during the first half of the Indiana versus Purdue women's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023 :: © Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

That game 40 years ago, Ohio State also earned a share of the title but didn't get to compete in the NCAA Tournament thanks to the Hoosiers defending their home court.

“I think when you win a championship, and you do something like we did, it does sort of bond you in a way,” Metheny said. “You go through so much in college. People just really don’t have a clue.”

Metheny was the starting point guard in 1983. She said 40 years later, and that hasn't changed. She's still directing. Other teammates included Linda Cunningham Buckley at guard, Leckie at guard/forward, Indiana Athletics Hall of Famer, first team All-Big Ten and District All-American forward/center Denise Jackson Salters and fellow Hall of Famer and first team All-Big Ten forward/center Rachelle Bostic.

Forwards Sparkman, Kelly Bynum and Deb McClurg and guards Kemya Willis, Pam Mack, Jennifer Wilfong, Kim Land, Paula McDole and Sue Watts and center Julie Kronenberger completed the family.

Julie Kronenberger, Rachelle Bostic, Amy Metheny, Denise Jackson, Kim Land, 1982-83 in Assembly Hall / Indiana Women's Basketball

“We are all so very different and came from many different backgrounds, but we found a way to come together and make this our one goal,” Metheny said.

Seven teammates were from all corners of Indiana, but others ventured over from Michigan, Ohio, New York, Florida and even Canada. The out-of-state women knew the basketball culture at Indiana and wanted to play in a state where the sport was extra special.

“The minute I set foot on it, I fell in love with it,” Saginaw, Mich. native Leckie said about seeing Bloomington for the first time.

Perhaps the team member most awestruck by the culture was Jackson, who was originally from Miami, Fla. In her high school regional final game, former Indiana men's head coach Bob Knight sat and watched a future Indiana star, although she didn't know it yet. He was actually there to recruit Jim Thomas but had some time to kill before his game where he spotted Jackson and later introduced himself to her.

“My heart was just fluttered,” Jackson-Salters said.

After working out some more logistics, Jackson-Salters decided to go to Indiana. She had loved watching the men's team on TV in her childhood home. While her family sat in the living room, Jackson-Salters would be in the back watching the Hoosiers.

“I just wanted to be in that atmosphere,” she said. “There was no women’s team that inspired me unfortunately because you didn’t have a lot of women’s basketball on TV during that time.”

It was settled. Fifteen women ended up on the 1982-83 team and started to become a unique family who liked to have plenty of fun.

Sparkman, who's from Scottsburg, Ind. found a way to bring some of her southern roots to the team, which eventually led to traditions the team still practices and reminisces on today.

“We were actually a big singing team,” Metheny said. “Sparky was a great singer, and she played guitar.”

There were no iPhones or Walkmans to listen to a hype playlist in the sports world back then, but Sparkman made sure to play plenty of bops from Janis Joplin.

On the team's own makeshift playlist, every player got to pick two songs. Given that they all had vastly different tastes due to vastly different personalities, the playlist was eclectic as you can imagine, Metheny said.

“We could’ve gone on the road as a singing group, but we just decided to go ahead and just play basketball,” Metheny said.

Through song, laughs and absolutely no egos, the team started winning and eventually found themselves as Big Ten champions. Following the win, all the players and their parents went to a big celebration at one of their apartments, a memory the team still cherishes today.

Their parents had gotten to know each other and traveled to a lot of games. Some even opened up their homes for the out-of-state girls on holiday breaks.

Soon after the historic win, the Hoosiers took it two steps further to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament but fell short to No. 2 seed Georgia 86-70. After everyone left IU, it's been all about keeping that Hoosier family together and supporting the new teams each season.

The group has managed to get together plenty of times over the years despite being all over the United States. This season, some of the team members rented an Airbnb to watch the current Hoosier women play and defeat No. 11 Tennessee 79-67 in Knoxville.

Bostic said while walking around exploring, they saw the current team and of course had to say hi.

“I was like ‘Mackenzie, what’s up girl?’” Bostic said. “I always get a hug from her when I do see her.”

Bostic said she will sometimes send encouraging messages to Mackenzie Holmes, Grace Berger, Chloe Moore-McNeil and others via Instagram or however she can reach them. Metheny added it's been fun getting to know the current players' parents and families too.

The women can even see a version of themselves in the current players as Jackson-Salters had a similar style to Holmes with the footwork and spin moves. Plus the 2022-23 team has a bond like the old team did. They support each other and look like they have fun while doing it.

“They are outstanding ball players, but they’re just good kids, and I feel like that’s what we were,” Leckie said.

The meetups don't stop at the games. In fact, they start there and then usually finish up at Sparkman's country home every year where the women go for a weekend getaway.

“They just go crazy,” Sparkman said. “They think it’s like a national or state park.”

It's not that or a dirt road, Sparkman said, but she does have four wheelers, corn hole, a pool, campfires complete with guitar and singing plus enough couches and beds for everyone to be happy.

The 1982-83 women's basketball team gets together at Melinda Sparkman's house. — The 1982-83 Indiana women's basketball team gets together at Melinda Sparkman's house / Amy Metheny

“Any time we get a chance to get together, I’m there,” Sparkman said. “We are a unique group of people. We all come from so many different backgrounds, and it’s really amazing how we’ve kept in touch and are very close to each other."

Sparkman said the team likes all the fun outdoorsy stuff but mostly enjoys sitting around the campfire catching up.

“Our stories get bigger and bigger every year,” Sparkman said. “By the time we’re 70, we’ll have won the NCAA.”

Jackson-Salters said the rest of the world doesn't exist when they're together. She has always felt like God hand-picked that team himself to keep them together for a lifetime.

“Regardless of what goes on in life, our bond is unbreakable," she said.

On current game days, you better believe the women are chirping in the group text. From what they're wearing to breaking down plays, it's like the team is back to their player selves or being armchair coaches as Metheny described.

”It’s like we still want to be out there,” Metheny said. “It’s like ‘man, did you see that cut?’ or ‘man, did you see Chloe on that help defense, that was incredible!’”

The team also has a love for Indiana head coach Teri Moren and what she's done for the program. When she became the all-time winningest coach, they sent her a dozen red and white roses and lilies. One of them suggested a flower for each game won, but maybe that would be too pricey.

Bostic was actually Moren's basketball camp counselor when Moren was just a young, child point guard. A cool kid, Bostic said she was always fearless and hardworking.

"They have continued to support us, and they show up for all the alumni outings in those moments," Moren said. "Certainly I get text messages from some of them as well. Out of all the teams that we've had here, that particular team has showed a tremendous amount of support for us."

Metheny said Moren's character has proven to be outstanding as she knows all the alumnae. She even FaceTimed Metheny's sick friend in the hospital to send her healing wishes. The team returns the generous favor by consistently showing up at games.

“Our one and only job is to support that coach and those kids without question,” Metheny said.

Sparkman flew to the Indiana, Purdue game just for the weekend while snowbirding in Florida. Jackson-Salters comes back nearly every year and was there for last season's NCAA Tournament when Indiana hosted.

This group of formers really does bleed cream and crimson. Although they went on to become doctors, lawyers, accountants, teachers, financial advisors, managers and mothers, Indiana will always be their launching pad for success.

“It taught me how to trust,” Jackson said. “It taught me how to love. It taught me how to believe in winning and understand that winning is not who comes out on top in the game.”

But if you do come out on top in a lot of games:

“If you play basketball at Indiana, the doors that will open for you,” Metheny said. “Indiana — we are a basketball place.”

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