Indiana Women's Basketball New Player Profile: Indiana Native Guard Sydney Parrish

We resume our series where we introduce to you the new faces of Indiana women's basketball. Junior guard Sydney Parrish hails from Fishers, Ind. but found a basketball home in Oregon for two seasons before transferring to Indiana earlier this year.

© Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Ahead of the 2022-23 Indiana women's basketball campaign, there are more new faces to meet that will be wearing the cream and crimson. Up next is Oregon transfer guard Sydney Parrish.

Sydney Parrish takes the court during team introductions :: © Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Parrish is returning to her home state of Indiana as she's originally from Fishers. She was the 2020 Indiana Miss Basketball as well as a McDonald's All-American and Jordan Brand Classic selection after leading Hamilton Southeastern High School to a 4A state title as a junior and finishing her high school career as the program's all-time leading scorer.

Sydney Parrish, from Hamilton Southeastern High School, is a member of the 2019 high school girls basketball Super Team :: © Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar, Indianapolis Star via Imagn Content Services, LLC

During her time as a Duck, Parrish started off hot playing in 23 of Oregon's 24 games as a true freshman earning two starts. She had five double-figure scoring games and played in all three NCAA Tournament games in Oregon's Sweet 16 run in 2021.

Last season, Parrish played and started in 32 games including the first round of the NCAA Tournament loss to Belmont. 

She was once a 34-hour drive from home but can now get back to Fishers in an hour and a half, give or take, from Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington.

Sydney Parrish points to the score board alongside her teammates after the Ducks dispatched Utah 85-43 :: © Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard via Imagn Content Services, LLC

“We are very glad that Sydney is back in Indiana,” Indiana head coach Teri Moren said in April when Parrish announced her decision.

“We’ve had a long relationship dating back to her days before her decorated high school career where she was a McDonald’s All American and Indiana Miss Basketball. We want to recruit the very best players, and Sydney undoubtedly fits that mold. What stands out the most about her is her competitiveness. She is tough, and she plays hard.”

Sydney Parrish forces a turnover against UC Davis' Cierra Hall in the closing moments of the game in Feb. 6, 2021 :: © Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Parrish will bring height to the Hoosiers squad standing tall at 6'2". While at Oregon, she shot 36.7 percent from the field, 34.7 percent from the three-point line scoring 410 total points. Last season, she averaged 8.5 points per game and 3.3 rebounds contributing wherever she could on the floor.

"In my opinion, Sydney is the best pure shooter in the country, but she's more than that – she can score in multiple ways," Oregon head coach Kelly Graves said. 

Sydney Parrish and Maddie Scherr defend against Louisville Cardinals guard Dana Evans in the first quarter in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2021 Women's NCAA Tournament at Alamodome / © Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

"She's a baller, a leader, a winner, she's versatile and she's a hoops junkie with a very high basketball IQ. Most importantly, she's one of the nicest, most genuine people you'll ever meet and is going to be a terrific presence in our locker room."

She also has a terrific social media presence with 186,800 followers on TikTok where she's posted several Hoosier-oriented videos expressing her excitement to play for Indiana.

Sydney Parrish is fouled by Carroll College's Maddie Geritz as she goes up for a shot during the second half in Eugene Jan. 2, 2022 :: © Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Stories related to Indiana women's basketball:

• MEET THE PLAYERS - YARDEN GARZON Welcome to our series introducing new Indiana women's basketball arrivals for the 2022-23 season. Up next is 6-foot-2-inch guard Yarden Garzon from Ra'anana Israel. CLICK HERE
• MEET THE PLAYERS - LEXUS BARGESSER Meet Indiana women's basketball freshman guard Lexus Bargesser. The 5'9" Grass Lake, Mich. native not only led her high school basketball team to a state championship in 2021, but also her track team in the same school year. CLICK HERE.