TTT

6’0” Guard 21.5 points per game. 5.6 rebounds. 4.3 assists. 3.7 steals. As a freshman. McCutcheon 21-5 overall with 8-0 conference record. Throw her in the mix for IU Ladies Basketball future. 2027 will be here as time flies by.

There are many names on the recruiting trail for IU Ladies basketball that have been offered scholarships/NIL by IU for the next few years. Currently, it basically means that IU Ladies will be on the top 25 to 50 list of schools for each recruit. (exceptions are for schools like LSU, UCONN, and SC and some others…who most always have a much higher percentage to get recruits they target or really want). IU Ladies need the revamped recruiting strategy to pay dividends.

Does Bargesser, Garzon, Meister, Currie-Jelks, Lamendola, Sandvik, upon graduation from their respective schools sign that State of Indiana wall hanging in IU Ladies locker room….. are or will those players be welcomed back???

Well, as the portal winds down is there any other player out there for IU Ladies? And it was stated 1. IU Ladies wanted to become more athletic and 2. IU Ladies wanted to become bigger and more physical. 3. IU Ladies wanted players that fit and from winning programs. These three things they wanted to accomplish in the transfer portal along with incoming freshman and what is left of current team that stayed at IU. Conclusion: IU Ladies accomplished a little bit in the transfer portal. Underwhelming Rag Tag Team. Recently posted 25 and 10. Looks like impossibility that would require many big ten wins and tournament including deep March Madness run to get to 35 games. or Recently posted 10 and 25. Another impossibility because it means you would have miserable season somehow slipping into big ten tournament and winning national champion ship…. those numbers don’t add up to get to 35 games.

Good point. And it depends on how much she financially continues to grow, not that she would be the biggest contributor but I think she seems like the kind of person that would be involved.

Wonder how much Caitlin Clark Iowa/Indiana Fever is now or will be involved with participating in Iowa women basketball NIL financially?

Emily Rodriguez has committed to Iowa . No confusion anymore.

To answer your question to address confusion…. Emely Rodriguez is not a Hoosier.

Emely Rodriguez….T. Moren doing her part with the typical good pictures (4) including T. Moren and E. R. dressed in IU Ladies black uniform.

Offered by T. Moren….Ashley MacCalla from Middletown High School in New York 5’10” guard per espn rating 93. I suspect that will go up by 2027. 3 years away

Coach McKuff gave it the old college try but it was brutal….2:00 - 25 minutes utube videos. (Starting at 63 trying to get past number 63 when counting backwards to 48 and starting with letter D trying to get passed letter D while saying alphabet to letter R (not sure he could have done it sober)…..forget about standing on one foot or walking toe to heal. However, when ask about his education level K.W. did remember he had a Masters degree…..Not answering questions (maybe trying to control emotions) other than when being requestioned answering yes and no. Attorney shows up to court for McKuff and enters not guilty plea. .wonder if any Lady Ohio State players are granted special status to go or transfer elsewhere?

Highlights look like 18 points per game. Listed at 5’9” (maybe grew an inch) At Ark 25 minutes per game; 7.2 points per game, 31.7% fgs, 52% fts, 26% 3 ball. (Solid all around floor floor game though) However playing for the Netherlands listed at 5’8”statistically was somewhat better and even some highlights on scoring double figures and 3 ball.

And hang out in Minnesota with the Lynx for several weeks and get waived.

And Grace Berger waived by the Lynx.

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/42510051/2025-womens-college-basketball-top-25-post-signing-window-recruiting-class-rankings&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwj-ve2TjqONAxVCg4kEHTzdAjYQFnoECCgQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2zkyP3qxQ0a3oELYuWF8e2 IU Ladies recruiting class with Caffey and Makalusky come in ranked number 21 class.

As one would expect several to many major college offers including LSU and Iowa vs IU Ladies revamped recruiting strategy….. Good test.

Lol. The reason T. Moren seen to bring her in because the best players went to other programs. so in IU situation…a practice player, backup and may play a little bit (maybe). She does catch the ball against ladies juco level players….(not against big ten players).

Not sure what it means but Alec Lasley 3 on 3 noted visit to begin Tuesday night.

Are IU Ladies going to try to win with scores like 53 to 49? Lol. IU Ladies are definitely in need of some scoring punch.

Log in or sign up FILED UNDER: BREAKAWAY WOMEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL ALL WOMEN'S SPORTS Explaining the weirdest transfer portal story in women’s college basketball this season Gracie Merkle transferred from Penn State to Maryland in April. On Monday, she announced she was returning to Penn State. Let’s break down how that happened. By Mitchell Northam@primetimeMitch May 13, 2025, 8:55am EDT 0 Comments / 0 New Share this story Share this on Facebook (opens in new window) Share this on Twitter (opens in new window) SHAREAll sharing options Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images Mitchell Northam is a Senior Writer for SB Nation, covering women's college sports at Breakaway. This story is part of a group of stories called In the span of 56 days, Gracie Merkle transferred from Penn State to Maryland and back to Penn State. Yes, really. Well, sort of. Merkle, a 6-foot-6 redshirt junior center, entered the transfer portal on March 25 with a do-not-contact tag. Despite playing for the worst team in the Big Ten — the Nittany Lions went 1-17 in conference play last season — Merkle was a highly sought-after transfer after averaging 15.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. She was fourth-nationally in field goal percentage, making 67 percent of her shots with her soft touch around the rim. On April 5, she announced on her Instagram that she was committing to Maryland, complete with a graphic featuring her in a Terrapins’ jersey with the caption “GO TERPS.” Merkle became a key building block of one of the strongest transfer portal classes assembled this offseason, as Terps coach Brenda Frese also landed commitments from ACC Tournament MVP Oluchi Okananwa from Duke and Indiana’s Yarden Garzon, an All-Big Ten selection and 3-and-D specialist. Merkle even recorded a video for the Terps’ social channels, saying how “excited” she was to join the team. She added in a statement issued by Maryland on April 8 that said: “I chose Maryland because of the winning culture. I developed a belief in the coaching staff and a relationship with the players as soon as I stepped on campus. The development I’m looking for is proven with Coach Frese.” As it turns out, the statement, the news release, the video, the graphic, the photo shoot, the social media posts — it was all a waste of time. Because Merkle is not going to play basketball at the University of Maryland. She backpedaled on Monday night and announced that, indeed, she’s staying at Penn State. “Plot twist! After much thought, prayer and communication with my family, I have been released from UMD per my request,” Merkle wrote on Instagram. “I am very thankful for the opportunity but I have decided to return to Penn State University!!!! As always, I appreciate all the love and support.” So, how did this happen? How did a player transfer to a new school and then back out of it a month later? SB Nation spoke to a few coaches, agents and other sources around women’s college basketball to better understand the system and the circumstances. So, who is Gracie Merkle? She’s a pretty good collegiate center from Mount Washington, Kentucky. She began her college career at the mid-major level at Bellarmine where she averaged 14.6 points and 10.6 rebounds as a true freshman and ranked second nationally in shooting percentage with a 70.1 percent mark. She was also 16th nationally in rebounds per game and won the ASUN Rookie of the Year award. After sitting out her sophomore season due to an injury, Merkle transferred to Penn State where she continued to put up similar numbers against stiff competition in the Big Ten. While the Nittany Lions struggled, going 10-19, Merkle had a solid season and was an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection. There weren’t many true post players in the portal this year, so Merkle was coveted as someone who could score in the paint, rebound and protect the rim at a high level. In early April she signed with Maryland. What did Merkle sign? Merkle signed something commonly referred to as a financial agreement, a source confirmed, which is what all transfers are asked to sign when they go to a new school. The thing is, these financial agreements are a bit different from what high school recruits used to sign when they committed to colleges — a National Letter of Intent. NLIs don’t exist anymore though after the NCAA eliminated them in October, ending the program that began in 1964. An NLI was a formal and binding agreement between a player and the program they were choosing to attend. They were hard to get out of. The new financial agreements are anything but that. The loopholes are easy to exploit. One Power 4 assistant coach put it this way: “You can get out of a financial agreement anytime now as long as you haven’t stepped on campus and started getting aid… These are basically verbal commitments.” The NLI was eliminated as the NCAA anticipates more changes from the House settlement, which will pave the way for schools to share revenue directly with players. One agent referred to the financial agreements as “just MOUs” or memorandums of understanding, another form of a non-binding agreement. “Financial aid agreement basically means nothing until you physically attend a class,” another Power 4 assistant coach said. A source familiar with Merkle’s situation confirmed to SB Nation that, aside from her visit during her recruitment, she never stepped on campus and never enrolled in classes in College Park. Once a player signs a financial agreement with a school, other programs are supposed to be prohibited from communicating with them about recruiting, according to NCAA guidelines. But isn’t the transfer portal closed? How did Merkle go back to Penn State? Indeed, the transfer portal is closed. But Merkle never had to reenter the portal because she never exited it. She didn’t start working out with Maryland, she didn’t attend classes there and didn’t receive financial aid. And once a player enters the transfer portal, they’re technically in it for the season. When a player signs a financial agreement with a new school, the portal will show that, but the player will still exist in the portal. One veteran coach summed it up this way: “Since she went in for the 2024-25 season, even if she signed and it signified as much in the portal, she’s still in there… If I open up the portal right now and look up (MiLaysia) Fulwiley, I’ll see that she’s signed to LSU, but she’s still listed. So, does that still count as being in there?” This actually already happened in women’s college basketball during this portal cycle. Auburn’s Kaitlyn Duhon, a solid defender who has averaged 4.9 points per game for her career, signed with Texas A&M on April 1. Weeks later, she announced she was going back to Auburn. Last year, football player Kadyn Proctor transferred from Alabama to Iowa, but less than two months later returned to Alabama before ever participating in a practice with the Hawkeyes. “It’s so weird how it all works,” another coach told SB Nation. What does this mean for Maryland and Penn State? Merkle likely would’ve been the Terps’ starting center next season, especially following the departure of Allie Kubek — a 6-foot-2 forward who entered the portal and transferred to Florida State after the arrivals of Merkle, Garzon and Okananwa were announced. The Terps still have a solid roster capable of making a deep March Madness run, but Garzon is now their tallest listed player at 6-foot-3, and she’s at her best when she can play along the wings instead of spending the majority of her time down in the paint. Brenda Frese has played small-ball lineups over the past few years, but having a true formidable post like Merkle would’ve been a luxury. In addition to Merkle’s return, Penn State added dynamic Rutgers guard Kiyomi McMiller through the portal. A former Jordan Brand All-American, she averaged 18.7 points as a true freshman for the Scarlet Knights. Because of various benchings, suspensions and other circumstances, McMiller only played in 21 of 33 games for Rutgers this season. The Big Ten has yet to set its women’s basketball schedule for the 2025-26 season, but the meeting between Maryland and Penn State will be one to circle on the calendar. ((Based on Lexi Bargesser work out posts (getting professional help) in the gym trying to get better…Would like to see her withdraw from Colorado State and return to IU and compete for playing time)). (not sure on Garzon) …..don’t expect either player to return. But it would be an interesting story.

What a one sided lottery jackpot similar to Currie -Jelks…..this one will work better….but Jade Ondineme arguably 6’2 or 6’3” depending where you look at rosters with not much in dominant performance statistically from community juco college to a major league solid Ladies basketball program in one of the top Ladies basketball conferences……Jade Ondineme definitely hit the lottery jackpot from her perspective. And at the very least IU Ladies got a practice body.

Meanwhile, IU Ladies Jade Ondineme juco sophomore committed to IU at 6’3” (also see listed at 6’2”) Northwest Florida State Community College…….whatever this means.

How much does Merkle slow down a team that wants to get out and run? Was she signed or can you change your mind after signing? Or does the coach and player both have to come to agreement?

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.insidethehall.com/2025/05/12/former-iu-all-american-mackenzie-holmes-waived-by-seattle-storm/&sa=U&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwjH_Ji-gZ-NAxUNKFkFHdgXDrkQFnoECDIQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0yTmZ1tsqv9EY2LeaHA8f6

Mackenzie waived.