Indiana Women's Basketball Ranked No. 9 in Preseason Top 25 by The Athletic

The Athletic published its preseason top 25 rankings for the 2023-24 women's college basketball season on Wednesday, and they ranked coach Teri Moren and the Indiana Hoosiers as the No. 9 overall team in the country.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — The 2023-24 Indiana women's basketball season is almost here. 

Coach Teri Moren and the Hoosiers might have lost superstar Grace Berger to the WNBA Draft. But aside from that, they essentially return the entire roster from a team that went 28-4, won the Big Ten regular season title and earned a No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. Indiana expects to compete for a national title this year, and for good reason. 

On Wednesday, The Athletic published its preseason top 25 rankings for the upcoming women's college basketball season. They ranked Moren's squad as the ninth-best team in college basketball. 

Dropping today: @TheAthleticWBB's Top 25 with analysis on each team and their strengths + questions marks.

From @sabreenajm and me: https://t.co/rcJz7a7I84

— Chantel Jennings (@ChantelJennings) September 27, 2023

Here was the entire top 25 rankings from The Athletic for the 2023-24 women's college basketball season: 

1. LSU
2. UConn
3. UCLA
4. South Carolina
5. Utah
6. Iowa
7. Ohio State
8. Virginia Tech
9. Indiana
10. Texas
11. Notre Dame
12. Tennessee
13. North Carolina
14. Ole Miss
15. Maryland
16. Florida State
17. Colorado
18. Stanford
19. Louisville
20. Baylor
21. Illinois
22. USC
23. N.C. State
24. Creighton
25. Texas A&M

Overall, The Athletic ranked Indiana as the third best Big Ten team behind Caitlin Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes, as well as behind the Ohio State Buckeyes. 

Indiana also has two nonconference games scheduled against teams in The Athletic's top 25 — No. 12 Tennessee, and No. 18 Stanford.

In their story, authors Chantel Jennings and Sabreena Merchant listed offensive flow, pick-and-roll scoring and ball control as strengths for the 2023-24 Indiana Hoosiers. 

In turn, they listed depth, athleticism and paint defense as weaknesses. 

Here's what Jennings and Merchant wrote about the Hoosiers in their preview:

"This group knows how to play together and has a dominant offensive unit, even if there is nothing flashy about it," Jennings and Merchant wrote. "Mackenzie Holmes is one of the best screeners and pick-and-roll finishers in college basketball, and she’s afforded the space to work thanks to shooting threats surrounding her. Sara Scalia, Sydney Parrish and Yarden Garzon all shot at least 38.7 percent from 3-point range last season, and Chloe Moore-McNeil wasn’t too far behind at 36.2 percent."

Moren and the Indiana women's basketball team begin their 2023-24 season at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Nov. 9, when the Hoosiers host Eastern Illinois. 

Related Stories on Indiana Basketball:

• 2023-24 BIG TEN MEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE: The conference released its schedule in full for the upcoming college basketball season this Tuesday. Here is every game, conference and non-conference, that a Big Ten team is playing in for 2023-24. CLICK HERE
• 2023-24 BIG TEN WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE: The conference released its schedule in full for the upcoming college basketball season this Thursday. Here is every game, conference and non-conference, that a Big Ten team is playing in for 2023-24. CLICK HERE
• WHAT TERI MOREN SAID AT MEDIA DAY: Indiana women's basketball coach Teri Moren spoke to media on Wednesday and addressed what she expects from her nationally prominent team, how they've moved forward from last year's disappointing end and what fans should expect to see this season. CLICK HERE
• BERGER FINISHES AS ROOKIE LEADER IN 3-POINT PERCENTAGE: The former Indiana Hoosier turned Indiana Fever guard played the final game of her WNBA rookie season on Sunday, and finished her campaign as the league's most accurate first-year from behind the three-point line. CLICK HERE