Danielle Patterson Opts Out for Remainder of 2020-21 Season

Danielle Patterson joins Jaelynn Penn as the second Hoosier to opt out in the middle of the season.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — After Indiana's 58-50 win over Illinois on Sunday, head coach Teri Moren announced that Danielle Patterson has chosen to opt out for the remainder of the season.

"She's decided to opt out," Moren said. "She and I spoke on Monday, and she and her family decided it was best for her to step back, so she's opted out."

It was a game in which Moren used most of the bench, but Patterson didn't play, which prompted the question if Patterson was dealing with an injury.

Patterson now joins Jaelynn Penn as the second Hoosier to opt out this season. Penn opted out on Feb. 7.

Patterson appeared in 15 games off the bench for Indiana this season,  averaging 1.7 points and 1.7 rebounds in 7.5 minutes per game. She transferred to Indiana from Notre Dame and sat out the 2019-20 season with the Hoosiers due to transfer rules while also recovering from a leg injury.

With Patterson out for the season, Indiana will need even more contributions from its bench. Over the past couple of games, players like Grace Waggoner, Kiandra Browne, Chloe Moore-McNeil, Arielle Wisne and Paige Price have provided solid minutes off the bench.

"Our bench has really been good the last three or four games, and we need them to be," Moren said after Illinois.

No. 14 Indiana is back in action on Thursday against No. 11 Michigan at 6 p.m. ET.

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