Teri Moren’s trio of former players on staff helps explain Indiana’s success

This past offseason, IU was one of just two Big Ten programs that didn’t lose a single player to the transfer portal. And, Moren entered the season with three of her former players on staff.

Sure, it helps to win as much as Indiana has recently — making the NCAA Tournament every year it’s been held since 2019 and reaching the Sweet 16 three times and the Elite Eight once. But is it the chicken or the egg? Has Indiana’s winning made players want to stick around, or have Moren’s relationships with her players fostered the winning? There’s no clear answer, but her current staff offers some guidance.

Ali Patberg, who was the point guard during that Elite Eight run in 2021, was named an assistant coach this offseason after two years working as a player/recruiting coordinator; Keyanna Warthen, who came off the bench for that 2021 team, returned to Bloomington this year to fill Patberg’s old recruiting position; and, of course, Mackenzie Holmes, arguably the best player in program history who graduated last spring, returned as a graduate manager after knee surgery forced her to miss the 2024 WNBA season with the Seattle Storm.

“It’s been cool because Coach has been at IU for 10 years, and we feel like as players, we helped build what we have,” Patberg told The Next after Indiana’s 68-64 win over Northwestern on Jan. 8. “It’s really important for us, and I know [Warthen] and [Holmes] will say the same thing, to continue that legacy. It means even more because we were part of that.

“We challenge each other to do better every day, but we also have a good time together. It’s really cool, too, to look back when we played together, and we have those moments, we have those stories, and so that’s always fun to reminisce on that.”

Order ‘Becoming Caitlin Clark’ and save 30%

Howard Megdal, founder and editor of The Next and The IX, just announced his latest book. It captures both the historic nature of Caitlin Clark’s rise along with the critical context, over the previous century, that helped make it possible — interviews with Clark, Lisa Bluder, C. Vivian Stringer, Jan Jensen, Molly Kazmer and so many others were vital to the process.

If you enjoy his coverage of women’s basketball every Wednesday at The IX, you will love “Becoming Caitlin Clark: The Unknown Origin Story of a Modern Basketball Superstar.” Click the link below to pre-order and enter MEGDAL30 at checkout.

Holmes knew the start of her WNBA career would be delayed after she had to have knee surgery last spring. The Storm drafted her in the third round of the 2024 WNBA Draft, but she’d need time to recover. She loved her time at Indiana and has contemplated going into coaching one day. When a grad assistant spot opened up under Moren, it was a no-brainer to come back.

“I love being here so much,” Holmes told The Next. “This place is home to me, so to be able to give back to the program in any capacity is always important to me.”

Watching Indiana play with Holmes on the far end of the bench is certainly different for fans used to seeing her dominating on the floor for five years. But it’s given her added perspective on what goes into running a successful program.

“I knew [the preparation] was in depth, but I guess I didn’t really know quite the capacity that it went into, whether it’s practice, gameplanning, scouting, all of it. It’s super in depth,” she said. “Even recruiting. All of it is just very intricate.”

Like when she played, though, Moren’s still there to give her a boost.

“She’s always believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself,” Holmes said. “She’s just continued to pour into me in so many different ways and make me a confident, not only basketball player, but person. … I’m learning so much about the game that I almost feel like I’m going to be a better basketball player just from as much as I’ve learned over the past few months.”

Even Warthen, who didn’t play nearly as much as Holmes, pointed to that connection with her former coach as being a big sell to return to Bloomington.

After playing for four years under Moren, Warthen played at SMU for her grad year, before working as a grad assistant at Oklahoma State in 2022-23 and under former IU assistant coach Glenn Box at Miami (OH) as an assistant.

“Just the people she has on staff and the players she recruits in general, that builds up the family atmosphere that she’s created,” Warthen told The Next. “The culture that’s built around Indiana, it just makes you want to come back.”

Want even more women’s sports in your inbox?

Subscribe now to our sister publication The IX and receive our independent women’s sports newsletter six days a week. Learn more about your favorite athletes and teams around the world competing in soccer, tennis, basketball, golf, hockey and gymnastics from our incredible team of writers.

Readers of The Next now save 50% on their subscription to The IX.

Indiana’s four-point win over Northwestern was far from the prettiest. The Hoosiers shot just 39.3% from the field and needed a late 3-pointer from Shay Ciezki to seal the 900th win in program history.

IU began the season ranked No. 25 but hasn’t found itself in the Top 25 since an early-season loss to Harvard. After that 1-2 start, though, the Hoosiers are 10-2, with their only losses to then-No. 16 UNC and No. 1 UCLA. This isn’t the same team that could rely on Holmes in the post to carry the load on offense, but it’s still a pretty good one.

And, having the expertise of people like Patberg, Warthen and Holmes only helps to provide perspective.

“I’ve been in their shoes. I get it,” Warthen said. “It means a lot to be able to pour into kids, knowing exactly what they’re going to go through and what they’ve been going through because I’ve been through the same thing.”

At Big Ten media day in October, Moren joked that with so many former players on staff, she’s been apprised of the “dirt” that happened on road trips and practice when they played for her.

It’s all in good fun, though, with Moren appreciating the point of view that this trio can bring to her program.

“You hope that your kids get a great experience, but also they get a lot of stories to tell when they’re done,” Moren told The Next. “It just confirms that we’re doing right by these guys. When they want to come back and work for you, that’s a pretty cool thing.

“I’m still coaching them; I’m just coaching them in a different kind of way now.”