Is Indiana Women’s Basketball Better Than Rutgers?

In this series, Hoosiers On SI examines where Indiana basketball stands against its Big Ten foes. Today, we look at how the Hoosiers stack up against the Scarlet Knights.

Rutgers standout Destiny Adams takes a shot against Penn State during a 2024 game in Piscataway, N.J. /

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – This story continues a series that will run through the end of September and for much of October. Is Indiana better than each of its Big Ten opponents?

Nine categories were chosen so there can be no ambiguity on which team is better. There will be no ties in individual categories. Think of it like you would the Supreme Court.

The categories: Point guard play, free throw shooting, inside scoring, perimeter shooting, rebounding, perimeter defense, rim protection, how much proven Power Five talent is on the roster, and intangibles.

The daily series will cover both the men’s and women’s basketball teams, and it will alternate between the teams.

Today we focus on Rutgers. The once-proud Scarlet Knights have fallen on hard times. A 20-plus-win program as recently as 2020, Rutgers has had three straight losing seasons and slipped to 8-24 in 2024, its second-worst mark in school history.

The Scarlet Knights did have four players who started more games than not who were underclassmen. Coach Coquese Washington has kept the core of her team together, and Rutgers should be improved in 2025.

Here’s how the battle between the Hoosiers and Scarlet Knights shakes out.

• Point guard play – In 2024, departed guard Kaylene Smikle led the Scarlet Knights in assist percentage. This wasn’t a team that had a ball-dominant point guard. Antonia Bates led Rutgers in assists with 3.2, and she’s listed as a guard-forward.

Rutgers should be bolstered in this department by the return of guard Awa Sidibe, who sat out the 2024 season with a knee injury. She averaged 3.1 assists as a starter in 2023.

Regardless, Rutgers isn’t as proven in this department as Indiana. Not with Chloe Moore-McNeil being a steady presence running the show for the Hoosiers. Edge: Indiana.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Mya Petticord (3) yells down court during the NCAA women's basketball game against the Purdue Boilermakers, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024, at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind. Purdue Boilermakers won 77-76. / Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK

• Free throw shooting – Guard Lisa Thompson (83%), guard Mya Petticord (81.5%), Sidibe (78.7% in 2023) and Kennedy Brandt (75%) all shoot above 70%. Indiana counters with Shay Ciezki (90.2%), Sydney Parrish (79.2%) and Chloe Moore-McNeil (76.1%). The Scarlet Knights just slip by, but both teams are strong here. Edge: Rutgers.

• Inside scoring – Rutgers’ meal ticket in the paint is returning leading scorer Destiny Adams. The 6-foot-3 Adams (15.6 ppg) took nearly all of her 11.6 shots per game inside the arc. Center Chyna Cornwell (7.3 ppg) is another inside scorer, though not a prolific one.

Indiana lost Mackenzie Holmes, so based on proven production, the Hoosiers lag. However, Lilly Meister was effective in short doses in 2024, and she intends to be effective scoring in the paint and on the arc. Based on what Meister has demonstrated in the past, we’re giving the benefit of the doubt to her and Tennessee transfer Karoline Striplin. Edge: Indiana.

• Perimeter shooting – Rutgers did not have a consistent knock-down 3-point shooter in 2024. Their best shooter, Jillian Huerter (37%), is no longer with the Scarlet Knights. The portal didn’t bring much help in this department. Meanwhile, Yarden Garzon (42.2%), Moore-McNeil (40.9%) and Parrish (40%) all top 40%. Edge: Indiana.

• Rebounding – Adams (7.9 rpg) and Cornwell (7.2) form a very solid base for the Scarlet Knights. In fact, Rutgers has four players returning who average over 3 rebounds per game. They also added Boston College transfer JoJo Lacey (4.4 rpg). Indiana is a solid rebounding team, but this is one area where the Scarlet Knights have a clear edge. Edge: Rutgers.

• Perimeter defense – Defense in all areas of the floor was a problem for Rutgers in 2024. None of their returning players rate highly by advanced metrics.Rutgers gave up an average of 73 points a game in 2024, ranked 337th nationally. Indiana excels defensively and takes this category with ease. Edge: Indiana.

Penn State Alli Campbell and Rutgers Antonia Bates battle for a loose ball. Rutgers Women s Basketball falls to Penn State in Piscataway NJ. on January 14, 2024. / Peter Ackerman / USA TODAY NETWORK

• Defense at the rim – Rutgers does a bit better in shot blocking. Bates (1.5 bpg) is formidable. Adams and Cornwell both averaged more than a half-block per game. In two-point defense, Rutgers gave up 47% while Indiana was at 44%. The lack of proven shot-blockers (Meister has potential) means this one goes to the Scarlet Knights. Edge: Rutgers.

• Proven Power 5 ability on roster – The standard here is whether a player averaged 25 minutes or more at the Power Five level at their current or former school.

Rutgers has Petticord (31.1 mpg), Bates (29.9 mpg), Adams (29.9 mpg) and we’ll count Sidibe (33.2 mpg in 2023).

Garzon, Parrish, Moore-McNeil, and Ciezki meet the threshold for Indiana. The tiebreaker would be Cornwell, who didn’t play over 25 minutes in 2024, but just barely cleared that mark in 2023. Edge: Rutgers.

• Intangibles – Put simply, Rutgers has to prove it can win again. That’s a big psychological hurdle to clear, especially after a difficult 2024 season. There is experience here, and freshman guard Kiyomi McMiller – a top 25 recruit – adds to the buzz.

Meanwhile, Indiana is a proven winner. Even with the loss of Holmes and Sara Scalia, there is plenty of returning talent to make the Hoosiers believe in themselves. Edge: Indiana.

• Verdict – Indiana’s 5-4 win here is less a reflection of how close these teams are – they’re not that close as Indiana’s strengths are often significantly more potent than Rutgers’ strengths are – but rather a reflection of some areas where Indiana hasn’t proven itself yet.

While Meister and Striplin should give Indiana a good base under the rim, they haven’t proven it through numbers to the extent some other teams have. It doesn’t mean they won’t.

Indiana’s women also get dinged disproportionately on the Proven Power 5 category. There are plenty of Hoosiers – Meister, Striplin, Lexus Bargesser, Lenee Beaumont, Juli LaMendola – who didn’t play 25 minutes per game who are perfectly capable of being productive.

The good news? It all gets sorted out on the court when Big Ten play starts in December.

Related stories on Indiana basketball

• IS INDIANA BETTER THAN OREGON? Read to see if Indiana's women's basketball team rates higher than new Big Ten member Oregon. CLICK HERE.

• GARZON READY TO SHINE IN 2025: Indiana's Yarden Garzon is ready to take further steps in her basketball development. CLICK HERE.

• IU PICKED FIFTH IN BIG TEN POLL: Indiana's women's basketball team was picked to finish fifth in both of the Big Ten's official preseason polls. CLICK HERE.

• INDIANA'S BIG TEN WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE RELEASED: The Big Ten announced the women's basketball conference schedule on Thursday. CLICK HERE.

• WHAT TERI MOREN SAID: Everything women's basketball coach Teri Moren had to say at Indiana's basketball media day on Wednesday. CLICK HERE.