Julianna LaMendola Has Entered The Transfer Portal

Julianna LaMendola suited up for two seasons with Indiana's women's basketball team.

Indiana Head Coach Teri Moren talks with Julianna LaMendola (20) during the Indiana versus Maine women's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – After Indiana’s lost to South Carolina in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, Indiana women’s basketball coach Teri Moren said there would be offseason movement on the roster.

“I think we're going to have a lot of holes to fill,” Moren said. “We've already sort of been in the process of kind of figuring out what we feel like those holes are going to be and addressing those, and then like the rest of the country, everybody will be in the portal.”

The first domino fell on Tuesday. Julianna LaMendola put herself in the transfer portal. She announced her intentions on her Instagram account.

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“I would like to thank Coach Moren and her coaching staff for giving me the opportunity to play at Indiana University. To my teammates, thank you for all of the memories we have created throughout the last two years. I am grateful for and will cherish the relationships cultivated throughout my time here at Indiana,” LaMendola stated.

“To the Hoosier fans, thank you for the consistent support throughout my time here. After much consideration, prayers and support from my family, I have decided it is in my best interest to enter the transfer portal for my remaining years of eligibility.”

A native of Coppell, Texas, LaMendola played two years for the Hoosiers mostly in a reserve role. She played 60 games overall, starting five games, all of which occurred in the recently completed season.

LaMendola missed Indiana’s pair of NCAA Tournament games with a left foot injury. She was in a boot on the sideline during the contests played at South Carolina.

She averaged 2.1 points and 2 rebounds while playing 10.2 minutes per game. LaMendola usually spelled Sydney Parrish and started in her place when Parrish was injured.

When recruited, LaMendola was ranked No. 52 nationally in the 2023 HoopGurlz espnW top 100. She was the Texas Gatorade Player of the Year and considered to be a four-star recruit.

LaMendola is the first player to transfer out of Moren’s program since Kiandra Browne, Kaitlin Peterson, Mona Zaric left after the 2023 season. Browne went to Duquesne, Peterson to Central Florida and Zaric went to Harvard. Zaric played against Indiana in Harvard’s win over the Hoosiers in November 2024.

At present, Indiana has three available scholarships. Indiana Miss Basketball Maya Makalusky and point guard Nevaeh Caffey will join the team as true freshmen in the 2025-26 season.

“For us, it's going to be real important because we don't go into the portal - we're very careful. There's certain types of players that have to fit Indiana and the way we do things in our program,” Moren said.

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