No One Deserves Wins Like Ali Patberg, Who’s Dedicated 4,264 Minutes to the Basketball Program

Four Hoosiers played for the last time in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Monday night to advance to the Sweet 16. One player who has five seasons of memories and 4,264 minutes of play invested into the program is guard Ali Patberg.

Indiana's Ali Patberg (14) and Nicole Carda o-Hillary (4) celebrate Carda o-Hillary's steal and score during the first half of the Indiana versus Maryland women's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Four Indiana women’s basketball seniors played in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall for the final time on Monday, March 21.

For the group of four, they got to leave the building with a crucial 56-55 win over Princeton to advance to the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row. But even still, it’s hard to say goodbye.

“I was thinking about Ali and all the seniors, Leks (Gulbe), Grace Waggoner, Nikki (Cardaño-Hillary), on my way home from shoot around today,” Indiana head coach Teri Moren said.

“When I think about Tyra Buss and Amanda Cahill, when we won the NIT, how cool is it that your last game that you play in the Hall you win. Today with those four seniors, we're making another trip to the Sweet 16.”

One senior sticks out for her dedication to the program for five seasons: graduate student guard Ali Patberg.

Ali Patberg and Coach Moren

Indiana's Ali Patberg (14) embraces head coach Teri Moren after the victory in the Indiana versus Maryland women's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022

“She's been everything for our program,” Moren said. “She's our leader off the court, on the court, and she's a terrific competitor. She is a great human being. She pours into her teammates, and she makes everyone around her better.”

Moren said Patberg wants to be a coach someday and has always been curious about that side of basketball. She watches extra film and always wants to be in the gym.

“I think this is a profession that suits her quite well at some point when she's done playing,” Moren said. “I will say this: nobody is more excited for Ali Patberg than her teammates are and her staff.”

Patberg and her fellow seniors still have up to four games left to play if they make it to the NCAA Tournament championship on April 3, so they’re not finished yet. Getting to this point was difficult and even a little bit stressful, Moren said.

“Well, it is both powerful and stressful because you as a coach don't want it to end, either, right,” Moren said. “We think it's a privilege to have the pressure that we have. You rely and you trust on your vets and your experience, and you just try to will them to the finish line.”

Moren said as a coach, her job is to give her team all the “good juices” down the stretch. She thought her team did just enough to move forward from the Princeton game and felt relief when the final buzzer sounded. She knew the team didn’t play their best basketball on Monday night.

The seniors agreed no one deserved the win more than Patberg. It’s fitting she wants to be a coach, because Moren has said several times she feels like Patberg already is.

“On the court that kind of speaks for itself,” senior guard Grace Berger said. “But the person she is off the court, we talk about it all the time, but it really is true just how she's taken every single one of us under her wing and allowed us to have individual success. She's put the team over herself 100 percent of the time and sacrificed for others on the team to shine as well.”

Earlier this season, Patberg said she’s heard all of the jokes about her 25-year-old college age. Moren defended her and said, ‘if you had the opportunity to play another year in college, wouldn’t you?’

You might just land yourself in the Sweet 16 like Patberg and company. It’s a true testament to the team’s dedication to Indiana basketball and their sacrifices they’ve had to make to wear ‘Indiana’ across their chests.

Senior forward Aleksa Gulbe left her home in Latvia to begin her Hoosier journey in the 2018-19 season as a freshman. She has played in 122 games for 3,235 minutes and shot a career average of 42.6 percent from the field.

Aleksa Gulbe and Ali Patberg

Mar 27, 2021; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Indiana Hoosiers forward Aleksa Gulbe (10) shoots the ball during the third quarter against the NC State Wolfpack in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2021 Women's NCAA Tournament at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Graduate student guard Nicole Cardaño-Hillary also has international roots. She moved from Spain to Georgetown, Texas when she was just 12 years old. She first played at George Mason to kick off her college career and then transferred to Indiana for the 2021-21 season.

She has played in 55 Indiana games for 1,051 minutes. She shoots 38.6 percent from the field for her Hoosier career.

Nicole Cardaño-Hillary and Ali Patberg

Mar 6, 2022; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers guard Nicole Cardano-Hillary (4) high-fives teammate Indiana Hoosiers guard Ali Patberg (14) during the first half of the Big Ten conference tournament championship game between Iowa and Indiana at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

Junior guard Grace Waggoner didn’t come too far as she’s from Vincennes, Ind., but certainly left her mark on the program as a successful walk-on.

In her three seasons, she’s played in 69 games for 316 minutes shooting 36.4 percent from the field. 

Grace Waggoner and Ali Patberg

Indiana guard Grace Waggoner (3) and Indiana guard Ali Patberg (14) walk off the court after Indiana defeated Purdue in overtime, 73-68, Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022 at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette

“They're such a special group, and I've been so blessed to have them the last two years, back-to-back seasons,” Moren said. “We've been together a lot. We kind of like each other, so we want to keep this thing going as long as we can.”

The seniors as well as the entire staff, team and fans want to keep winning for each other and for their fearless leader, Patberg who has played 122 games for 4,264 minutes of Hoosier basketball.

“She's just a complete team player,” Berger said. “She does everything she can to win. We want to work really hard for her, our leader, and give her as many wins as we can.”

It’s one game at a time as the Hoosiers inch their way closer to a championship title. Next Indiana will face No. 2-seed UConn in Bridgeport Conn. for the Sweet 16 round on March 26.

“We wanted to make another deep run in the tournament, but to be able to go to back-to-back Sweet 16 is special,” Moren said. “If you talk to that group in the locker room right now, the job is not done. We want to go deeper than just a Sweet 16.”

Related stories on Indiana women's basketball

• NCAA WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT SWEET 16/ELITE EIGHT SCHEDULE: Here's a complete breakdown of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament Sweet 16/Elite Eight schedules with location and TV times for each region. CLICK HERE.
• INDIANA VS. PRINCETON PHOTO GALLERY: Scroll through 30 photos from Indiana's win over Princeton to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. Witness Indiana head coach Teri Moren crowd surf among her team and see Hoosier facial reactions following the final buzzer. CLICK HERE.
• HOOSIERS KNOCK OFF PRINCETON IN SECOND ROUND: The Hoosiers defeat Princeton 56-55 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. Senior guard Grace Berger led Indiana with 15 points and totaled seven rebounds for the last game in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall this season. CLICK HERE.